Full lineup
The Shawarma King. The Habiiibi guy. The one million people following @naw_sir.
Nasser Al-Rayess is Syrian-American and goes by the Shawarma King — a nickname that captures exactly what his comedy is doing. He makes the Arab-American experience funny in the specific, knowing way that only works if you have lived it. Immigration, family, pop culture, the news, being Arab in a room that doesn't quite know what to do with you — all of it, sharp and fast, with no translation required.
His touring show "Habiiibi Nights" runs internationally — Dubai, New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco — blending stand-up with Arabic music and the atmosphere of a traditional Arab gathering. It is a night out and a cultural experience in one room. Over 1 million followers across platforms, 550K+ on Instagram alone. He released "Be My Shawarma" in February 2024 — a song — because of course he did.
"Arab-American comedy isn't niche — it's just honest about what it is to be from somewhere specific in a country that keeps asking you to explain yourself." — Nasser Al-Rayess
Why comedy belongs here.
A festival without laughter is just a concert. OC MENA is building a full cultural weekend, and comedy is as central to Arab culture as music. Nasser runs the kind of room where the Arab-Americans in the crowd recognize everything and bring their non-Arab friends who leave understanding something they didn't before. That is cultural exchange in real time.
What to expect.
Fast, specific, warm, and a little chaotic. Bring someone who will understand the Arabic jokes and someone who won't. Both of them will leave having had a better night than they planned.