#IAmEmirati: UAE-based comedian aspiring to be role model of his time

Dubai - Abdo began by posting funny clips on his social media handles and received a lot of good comments.

A mechanical engineer, who went on to explore his funny side, has emerged as a promising Emirati comedian who has over 8,000 followers on Instagram and around 25,000 on TikTok.

Abdulrazzaq Al Khaja — better known as Abdo — is pushing boundaries in comedy, a relatively new field for Emiratis, to not only make a mark for himself but also to be a role model for others walking on a similar path.

“My aspiration for acting and becoming a comedian began as I grew up watching comic movies and TV shows. I have also experienced how people would remember a humourous person fondly. Comedy was always the purest form of joy and I admired such people for the visible shift they were able to make in the moods of people with sheer wit and presence of mind. This positive impact it left on people intrigued me.”

My own family is a bunch of very witty and humorous people, he added.

Abdo began by posting funny clips on his social media handles and received a lot of good comments.

“In my early years, I simply started by making funny clips and posted on social media. It was a positive response from people that got me hooked on to it. I knew I had found my calling… and I started to generate more and more comical content online,” the 27-year-old told Khaleej Times.

Abdo garnered attention from ad agencies and even film directors such as first Emirati woman director-producer Nayla Al Khaja, who featured Abdo in one of her short films.

Armed with his passion for acting, coupled with a love for comedy and social media skills, Abdo creates scenarios and relatable situations using either his personal experience or stories he heard from others. He also touches upon serious topics in a light-hearted way.

From generating comic English and Arabic content online, Abdo has also ventured into stand-up comedy. “My wife Zainab, who is also a content creator, and I show the world how we are learning together to navigate our new life and relationship. Comedy helps me touch upon matters that not many would otherwise discuss, especially in Emirati culture.”

An engineer during the day, Abdo writes his scripts, directs videos and edits them after coming back from work and tries to release one video a week. “My videos might just under a minute but a lot of hard work, thinking, retakes, strong script with a message is hidden behind that one-minute video. I am lucky that now my wife has also joined me and together we are now generating a lot of content on marriage and also trying to change the view of people on what ideal marriage, especially in the Arab world. We try to bring out the best of each other and show the world what marriage is about by staying hopeful, positive, respectful and well within the bounds of our culture and value system,” Al Khaja said.

Abdo message to the youth is to believe in themselves and “not let other’s opinion stop you from pursuing your dreams”.

“Do what you love and do not bother what others think about you because all you will be left with is regrets if you do not find your calling. Learn to leave your comfort zone if you want to grow because comfort zone is a wall we create for ourselves that will not let you grow bigger,” said Abdo who is now looking to also pursue acting and stand-up comedy more seriously as a full-time career.

Abdo feels there is a need to have more online representation from and for Emiratis. The young Emirati is looking to transform his passion for comedy into something more than just a hobby and inspire other Emiratis to foray into unconventional fields they like.

saman@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai