The event, attended by Saudis and expatriates, had the guests in splits for three hours. The ambassador also got into the spirit of the moment by turning into a stand-up comic briefly, while his wife took the opportunity to launch a breast cancer awareness campaign.

The US embassy, in cooperation with Smile Productions, presented Nemer Abou Nassar, Al Ducharme, McShortie and Khalid Khalifa in the comedy night show. The highlight of the event was the participation of three Saudi comics. McShortie, just 154 cm tall and from Riyadh, regaled the audience with her sense of humor, while her American accent proved that Saudi women could exhibit their talent in different fields, including entertainment.

Another artist with a command performance was Jadawi, Thamer Al-Hazmi, who introduced himself as Saudi Badawi, or Bedouin. The comedian, a Saudi with UK citizenship, spoke fluently in both languages.

Another Saudi comedian born in the US, Khalid Khalifa, too sent the audience roaring with laughter. His mission in a lighter vein was to get people of both cultures to understand and be comfortable with each other through humor. The comic specializes in observational humor, pointing out those funny little things that others miss. Khalifa tried to correct negative perceptions that Westerners have about Saudis and present the correct culture, religion and lifestyle of his people.

He has been a host and performer in famous comedy clubs in California, acting in theater but focusing on stand-up comedy in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf.

The nonstop comedy continued when Al Ducharme, a popular American and international comedian, appeared on the stage. He offered a combination of observational humor, mimicking and celebrity impressions. His was a unique stand-up act, enhanced with organic sound effects, and packed a powerful punch that had his audiences of all ages in stitches.

Ducharme is presently taking on the hosting duties of a new show called “Comedy Cooks.” The comic has been featured on voiceovers for radio, television and animated CD-Rom software.

Another performer was the first Arab stand-up comedian, Nemr Abou Nassar. He has graced the stage of some of the most legendary comedy clubs in America. He took the ongoing political issues in the region and presented it in unique style. Nassar is of Lebanese origin and has an American citizenship. He is known to his country as “Lebanon’s King of Comedy.”

The US Embassy has been organizing cultural and educational affairs at the embassy as part of its program to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries.