JEDDAH: Visitors to a Saudi festival will be crying tears of laughter after organizers lined up a side-splitting program of comedy events.

The Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has announced a series of shows and acts as part of the ongoing Jeddah Season of activities.

Egyptian comic and actor Mohammed Henedi will kick off a series of comedy events when he stars in a play titled “Three Days on the Coast” being staged at Obhor Bay from June 26 to 29. Another Egyptian funnyman, Ashraf Abdel Baqi, will perform in the “It’s All Wrong” production from July 10 to 13.

The laughs will continue to flow through July 18 at Al-Shallal Theme Park with the Saudi Comedy Club putting on a range of presentations featuring local, Arab and international comedians. These include a stand-up challenge, a “Saudi Cinderella” show, international comedy acts, musical nights, and performances by comics Talal Al-Sheiki, Mohammed Sultan, Abdulrahman Al-Somali, and Abdulkhaleq bin Rafea.

Meanwhile, the Laugh Factory, America’s top chain of comedy clubs, will be running shows organized by XJed at the Jeddah Waterfront from June 23 to July 18.

Further details about the events can be found on the Enjoy Saudi phone app, by visiting Twitter and Instagram @Enjoy_saudi, or by going to the official festival website at https://www.saudiseasons.sa and via Twitter @JED_SEASON.

In line with one of the pillars of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan, the GEA aims to organize, develop, and lead the Saudi entertainment sector in providing experiences to suit all tastes, while encouraging and supporting private sector entertainment initiatives.

The authority also works with small- and medium-sized enterprises and foreign investors in the development of the country’s entertainment sector.

The Jeddah Season festival, which began on June 8 and runs until July 18, forms part of a major drive to boost tourism in the Kingdom. And in a bid to speed up the application process for visitor passes, anyone purchasing an event ticket online will be issued with an e-visa within three minutes. 

The entertainment program aims to highlight the city as a top visitor destination while at the same time encouraging partnerships with local businesses. Organizers also hope to generate up to 20,000 job and volunteering opportunities for young Saudis throughout the course of the festivities.