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Mona Mashhoor
Doha

IT was a weekend filled with some much needed comic relief. Held at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC), thousands of people rallied to enjoy the three-day Doha Comedy Festival which concluded on Saturday.
The Comedy Festival was part of the Qatar Tourism Authority's (QTA) Qatar Summer Festival programme this year.
The festival featured a selection of comedic stars, hugely popular in the region, providing an air of humorous witty ideas inspired by customs and culture. The theme of the shows were an honest reflection of the Arabic sense of comedy, through an in-depth examination of our customs and the hidden humour behind our ideologies as a race; which left audiences roaring with laughter.
A selection of well-liked comedians graced the QNCC stage, offering a dose of culturally infused jokes and gags. The group of talent came from across the GCC and the Middle East, with a special feature of two Qatari talents, Hamad al Amari and Mohamed al Tamimi.
This year's festival was keen to select a group of comedians that fit the profile of a diverse coupling of humour, to cater to all the residents and visitors coming to Qatar for the festival. With such attention to the demographics, people of different nationalities and age groups were able to enjoy the comedy.
Irony and sarcasm are the two most forms of expression, at least that's what Jordanian comedian Rajae Qawas is popularly known for. With his strong fan base and followers, it came as no surprise that Qawas Creative Director at Kharabeesh and originator of N2oComedy would steal the show. Known for his sarcastic opinions on everyday life, and subtly specific narration of general human behaviour, he was an obvious favourite.
Both the Qatari talents were excited to be taking part in the festival, noting that they would like to see stand-up grow in Qatar, and that humour should be integral as part of the artistic development of Qatar.
Festival first-timer Mohamed al Tamimi shares,"This is the second consecutive year we witnessed the comedy festival in action, and with this success, I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming comedy festivals. I think we should be vigilant in developing as much comedic talent as we can and see this genre grow in Qatar."
He adds,"Laughter is indeed the best medicine and we need more of it. Comic relief or otherwise, comedy is essential to our existence and it was a wonderful effort on the Comedy Festival's part, which I believe we all [as participants] felt lucky to have been able to be part of."
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22/08/2016
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