Fahad al-Butairi, born on May 12, 1985, is a renowned Saudi stand-up comedian, actor, and screenwriter. As a pioneer in the field, he made history as the first Saudi comedian to perform on stage professionally in both Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab Gulf region. Al-Butairi has also established himself as a prominent figure in the world of YouTube, contributing significantly to the platform’s growth in the Middle East.
Al-Butairi was born in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and began his comedy career while studying at the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated in December 2007. His early comedy material focused on his experiences as a Saudi student in post-9/11 America. He credits his true start in comedy to the open mic nights at local clubs in Austin. His debut in the Arab world occurred on October 2, 2008, when he performed at the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour in Bahrain, opening for notable comedians Ahmed Ahmed and Maz Jobrani.
Over the years, Al-Butairi has shared the stage with several well-known comedians, including Gabriel Iglesias, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Bobby Lee. Despite initial concerns about how stand-up comedy would be received in Saudi Arabia, his first performance in Riyadh in February 2009 was met with enthusiastic support, attracting over 1,200 attendees. In November 2009, he won the “Be a Part of the Amman Stand-up Comedy Festival 2009” contest, selected from 65 English-speaking contestants.
On March 18, 2010, Al-Butairi participated in Yemen’s first stand-up comedy showcase, alongside Saudi comedians Khalid Khalifa and Ibraheem Alkhairallah, and Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed. He also performed at the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival’s “New Faces of Arab Comedy” showcase, where he was featured on the “Best of the Fest” night.
In March 2013, The Washington Post and The National recognized Fahad Al-Butairi as the “Seinfeld of Saudi Arabia.” His influence grew further when he served as a judge for “The Kit Kat Comedy Break Show,” the largest online stand-up comedy competition in the region. On January 15, 2016, he made history as the first Saudi professional stand-up comedian to perform at the Hollywood Laugh Factory, sharing the stage with stars like Maz Jobrani and Tony Rock.
In 2010, Al-Butairi launched his own YouTube show, “La Yekthar Show,” a title that roughly translates to “put a lid on it” in Saudi colloquial Arabic. Despite initial thoughts of transitioning to television, Al-Butairi chose to focus on YouTube due to the unique media landscape in Saudi Arabia. The show, created with fellow comedian Ibraheem Alkhairallah and directors Ali Kalthami and Alaa Yoosef, quickly became one of the fastest-growing Saudi Arabian YouTube channels. It reached over one million subscribers by its third season and remains one of the most popular channels in the region, with its most viewed video surpassing five million views.
The show’s success led to the creation of Telfaz11, a network dedicated to online entertainment content, and the spin-off YouTube show “Temsa7LY,” featuring a crocodile puppet character from “La Yekthar.” “Temsa7LY” has garnered over two million subscribers and over 100 million video views.
Fahad al-Butairi’s impact on the comedy and entertainment industry in the Arab world is significant, and his work continues to influence and entertain audiences across the region. In 2016, he left Telfaz11 to concentrate on his career in television and film, continuing to build on his impressive legacy.
