Saudi Arabia’s ‘Jon Stewart’ performs in Google ‘big tent’

Saudi standup comedian Omar Hussein, whose mock Arabic news program on YouTube — styled on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” in the United States — attracts a million views per episode, was on Friday lending some comic relief to the Google-sponsored “big tent” seminar, the first ever in the US capital, that cast a spotlight on freedom of expression in the digital age.
Hussein, 26, is the American-born son of Saudi expats whose resume includes a stint as an engineer in a baby diaper factory.
“When you have more restrictions you actually become more creative,” added Hussein, whose 22-year-old wife Lama Sabri is the show’s lead writer.
Far from trying to shut down the show, titled “On the Fly,” Hussein said some top figures have reached out to its producers, hoping it might talk about their work as a way to connect with Saudi youth who are active on social media.
“We’re taking it step by step,” Hussein said. “Episode by episode, we can actually discuss more interesting topics. The risk is that if you jump a big jump, that’s when it’ll be the ‘season finale.’”