Salman Qureshi

Salman Qureshi is a Pakistani stand-up comedian, improviser and actor born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents, who has been based in Dubai for more than fifteen years. In 2012, he co-founded the comedy troupe Dubai Laughing together with British comedian Ray Addison, rounding up a group of Dubai-based performers for their first stand-up gig at a hired venue. Since then, Qureshi has built a reputation as one of the Middle East's best-known stand-up comedians, blending storytelling, crowd work and an improv background that keeps every show different. He has appeared on Dubai One, ARY TV and Viu, was a cast member on the ARY Digital comedy show "Comedy Adda," and was nominated for the Laugh Factory's Funniest Person in the World competition in Los Angeles. In May 2025 he debuted his third solo comedy special tour, "Specially Needy." Qureshi also hosts "The Expat Brat Podcast," which reached Apple's New and Noteworthy list in 2022. As a foreigner navigating life in Dubai, he draws much of his material from his own observations and experiences of the city, and continues to perform live across the UAE, Oman and Pakistan.