Review: Maz Jobrani's emotional Abu Dhabi farewell brings laughter and tears

Diet Coke on my right and a black pouch containing my locked phone on my left, I sat on a folding chair, unsure what to expect from Maz Jobrani’s phone-free comedy show.

It wasn’t my first time seeing Jobrani live. But it would be the last for me and the many who had gathered at Etihad Arena on Saturday night.

The Iranian-American comedian was diagnosed with cancer after an emergency brain surgery in December last year. This was his farewell tour, or as he calls it, "the Catch Me While You Can tour", with the Abu Dhabi show being the first of his last.

“This is my last show in the UAE after 20 years,” Jobrani announced, delivering the news so seamlessly that it barely interrupted the flow of his performance. The audience burst into applause.

His set was reflective, touching on coming of age, generational differences and the ways in which the Middle East can be so different yet remarkably similar.

“Twenty years ago, Sylvester Stallone had a movie called Rocky Balboa, where he comes out of retirement to fight one last time. So basically, instead of Sylvester Stallone fighting one last time, you’re gonna get me doing comedy one last time,” the 54-year-old said. I teared up, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

“I’ve decided I’m gonna beat cancer by laughing at it, making fun of it,” Jobrani said.

Show caption: During his Abu Dhabi show, Jobrani compared himself to Sylve…

Wearing a blue shirt, the comedian looked noticeably different from previous appearances.

The scars on his head were visible to the audience, a reminder of what he has been going through.

“As soon as he came out, I was like, oh, he looks different,” Sofia, one of the attendees, told The National. “It was emotional,” she added.

“It was bittersweet,” said Sahar, who was seeing Jobrani live for the first time.

'Spread the love'

It wouldn’t be a Jobrani show without a dose of Middle Eastern politics. With his Iranian heritage, he has mastered the art of weaving political references into his jokes.

From Donald Trump and Hamas to the twelve-day war, nothing seemed off-limits.

But his message was loud and clear: it was simply to “spread the love.”

“Comedy and art humanise. They bring us together,” he said, responding to critics who questioned his decision to continue performing amid war and geopolitical instability.

Jobrani is no stranger to the UAE. He performed in the Gulf country almost 20 years ago as part of the Axis of Evil Comedy tour.

The comedy troupe also included Ahmed Ahmed, Aaron Kader, and guest star Dean Obeidallah, all fellow American comedians of Middle Eastern descent. They focused on life in America for people of Middle Eastern background post-September 11.

The openers

Emirati-Omani comedian Abz Ali kicked off the evening with a series of relatively safe jokes about the nationalities represented in the audience. He then shifted gears with a cleverly crafted joke about the flydubai incident, ending his set on a strong note and leaving a lasting impression.

Tehran Ghasri was next to take the stage, opening his set with a joke about the latest US midterm elections.

Having watched him perform alongside Jobrani at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Comedy Season in 2024, I couldn't help but notice some familiar material, taking away some of the freshness of an otherwise promising opening set.

After decades in stand-up comedy, there is no doubt that Jobrani knows how to make an audience laugh. But surprisingly, he knows how to move them to tears too.

He danced his way in and out of the blue-lit stage, and straight into our hearts.