YouTube Launches First-Ever Comedy Week in MENA May 19-25

Collaboration with Pan-Arab multi-channel network “Kharabeesh” to bring together the biggest names in comedy from around MENA

14 May 2013 – Dubai, UAE – YouTube announced today the first-ever YouTube Comedy Week in the MENA region, a special event from May 19th through May 25th, that will showcase the best of comedy with video premieres and creative collaborations from the region’s funniest people. Comedy Week in MENA is part of a global campaign to celebrate comedy on YouTube.

YouTube Comedy Week will bring together the biggest names in comedy on YouTube in the region in a collaboration with “Kharabeesh”, to create a one of a kind experience for comedy fans. The week-long event will showcase different channels and new talents in the realm of comedy. This event will consist of dedicated programming that includes new episodes from popular YouTube stand up comedy channels, news parody channels, social/political satire channels, cartoon animation and more.

“YouTube is the home of comedy for the next generation,” says YouTube’s Diana Baddar, Head of video partnerships in MENA. “If you like to laugh, come join us during Comedy Week as we celebrate the best of comedy with sketches, pranks, stand-up routines, parodies, and brings together the best comedians in the region in a way that truly reflects the unique sense of humor in the Arab region.”

Comedy is big in the MENA region with nearly half of all top 10 channels around the region belonging to the comedy category. Comedy continues to grow as more comedy channels move up the ranks of top 10 lists in the region.

Tune in at youtube.com/comedyweek starting May 19 for the week-long comedy lineup!

Participating Talents

• Al Tase3a illa rob3 (S7 Channel)
• Kharabeesh Cartoons
• N2O
• Black Mousiba
• Jeddah Comedy Club
• FemalesShow
• 2050 Series
• HawwaShow
• Stand Ub
• 7abtein
• 3asa Kheir
• iToonsi
• Yam3iris

Don’t forget to follow the event with the hashtag #ComedyWeek on Google+ and Twitter.

About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing more than a billion people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

About Google Inc.
Google is a global technology leader focused on improving the ways people connect with information. Google’s innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top Internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world. Google is a trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

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