By Popular Demand Mayor Maani Announces Critically Acclaimed Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival as an Annual Event

    AMMAN, JORDAN, December 26, 2008 MaiMai News -- The comedy festival is a non-profit program developed by the Greater Amman Municipality; their goal was not only to entertain, but to break stereotypes by showing that Jordanians, 'do laugh'", commented a blogger from wordpress.com after attending the festival.

This commendation is owed to the uniqueness of the Jordanian capital with its wide array of cultural activities, and to the stand-up comedians who sparked the Jordanian sense of humor and helped rediscover comedy in the region.

Marking its first debut ever in the Middle East, the Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival was hosted by the city of Amman between 2 and 6 December, 2008, with 20 comedians from different ethnic backgrounds, predominantly Arab Americans.

Touched by the success, the popular enthusiasm, and favorable media reviews, Mayor Omar Maani commented, "The Greater Amman Municipality adopted the Stand-Up Comedy Festival to fit in its cultural agenda, with plans to be held in December of every year."

The Mayor revealed the City's vision to be positioned as the creator of the first stand-up comedy festival ever in the Middle East and showcase comedic talents from around the world, encouraging Jordanians at the same time to get involved in comedy and to show the world that Jordanians and the Arabs at large love to laugh.

Applauding the success of the Festival, Dean Obeidallah, the prominent Arab American stand-up comedian and Executive Producer of the Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival said, "Overall, it was one of the most exciting events I have been involved in. It's been an amazing experience, and to also see how much the younger generation of Arabs, not only love stand-up, but understand how to write and perform jokes".

It is important to note that the Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival was organized in collaboration with Showtime Arabia, and was sponsored by Wi-tribe, Royal Jordanian, Nuqul Group, Nuqul Automotives, Limitless, Grand Hyatt Amman, Advize|Grey, Events AVP, Al-Qasr Metropole Hotel, Hawa Amman 105.9, FrontRow Publishing (Living Well & Jordan Business, & Anty), Play 99.6 FM, Sunny 105.1 FM and OmniaMedia.