#SHOWBIZ: Saaniya Abbas rules global comedy

THE name Saaniya Abbas is fast becoming a household term in the comedy world. As an international stand-up comedian and content creator, she boasts a thriving audience of over 1.2 million followers.

She has already chalked up impressive milestones, playing sold-out shows at the New York Comedy Festival, completing an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and earning a nomination for Best Debut at the Leicester Comedy Festival 2026.

Coupled with sold-out tours across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East and East Asia, her star is firmly on the rise.

With her signature feline mischief, the Dubai-based comedienne jokes about the awkwardness of navigating a multicultural world — proving that feeling a little out of place is a surprisingly universal experience.

RISING FAME

Her recent debut solo show, HELLARIOUS, bagged the "One to Watch Award" at The Besties 2025.

Recalling her Fringe debut, Saaniya said: "I'm really happy that I made my Edinburgh Fringe debut with a full run of HELLARIOUS, earning critical acclaim and multiple rave reviews. It's really put me on top of the world!"

The momentum only continued from there.

"Earlier this year, I had the golden chance to take HELLARIOUS on a first multi-city UK tour, including a six-night run at London's Soho Theatre.

"The best thing about it is, I earned a 5-star review for the show," she beamed with pride.

In the US, she performed to packed crowds at The Stand NYC during the New York Comedy Festival, where they added an extra performance due to popular demand.

"It was this year, too, that HELLARIOUS went across the US, performing in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with sold-out shows along the way," she said.

Her standout success even earned her the coveted US O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability in their field — officially classifying her as an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability".

It was both a huge career achievement and, conveniently, fantastic fodder for her stand-up routines.

Today, her online fanbase stretches across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Yet, on a more serious note, Saaniya revealed that she entered comedy completely by accident.

Stand-up started as a simple hobby class following her divorce, while TikTok began as an experiment to improve her skills for her day job in advertising.

"Somehow, the two collided and accidentally became an international comedy career and an audience of 1.2 million.

"No one was more surprised than myself!" she admitted.

DESIGNING A NEW PATH

Before stepping into the spotlight, the 38-year-old spent 15 years as a graphic designer and art director, creating campaigns and building brands behind the scenes.

She graduated in graphic design from Pearl Academy in New Delhi, India, and her family hails from Aligarh.

"I used those skills in advertising to do comedy, and thank God for that," she reflected.

Her iconic cat-ear headband also came about by chance.

"Before stand-up, I did family-friendly cosplay. In fact, I wore cat ears on stage as a joke one night and discovered people remembered 'the comedian with the cat ears' but, sadly, not my name."

Determined to leave her mark, she kept wearing them until her audience remembered who she was.

The headpiece soon evolved into her trademark look, giving rise to her "Hello Cuties" fan community and personal brand.

Her comedic journey actually began five years ago in Dubai, UAE, where she has lived for the past 15 years.

"It was a hobby, and I merely wanted to make myself happy," she said of her first time on stage.

"I cracked a joke about my divorce and made the whole room in an open-mic session laugh.

"At first, I felt that I needed therapy, but I soon realised that laughter was the very medicine to calm my inner pain."

Growing up as the youngest child in her family, she often poked fun at her upbringing.

"I have one elder sister who is an overachiever, so my parents had rather low expectations for me," she teased gently.

"Truth be told, my parents are very supportive of me and, together with my sister, they are all my biggest fans."

INSPIRATIONAL TOURS

During her years in advertising, she drew inspiration from prominent stand-up stars, particularly Taylor Tomlinson.

"Taylor is my gold standard, but I also love Ricky Gervais, Vir Das and Urooj Pashapour as they are very funny and always make me laugh," she said.

Writing relatable material, however, takes perseverance.

"It's always trial and error. You must say it out on stage and always try your best," she explained, noting that dynamic crowds keep her on her toes.

Her hard work has paid dividends, leading to memorable international tours.

In late 2024, she embarked on her debut tour of India.

"The tour was in December 2024. It was my first time doing comedy in India. The entire trip was magical, as many of them flew from far and near to watch me," she said warmly.

More recently, Saaniya toured Malaysia for the first time, bringing her warm, personal brand of humour to Southeast Asian fans.

"I'm so happy to have made my very first tour of Malaysia a success. I performed in Penang, then Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching," she recalled fondly.

Along the way, she shared stages with comedy greats like Emmanuel Sonubi and Larry Dean, whom she hopes to collaborate with again.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, Saaniya is preparing for her debut Australian tour from Nov 17 to 21, taking place in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

"I'm a big fan of Hugh Jackman, so I pray that I might get to meet him!" she laughed.

Beyond standard stand-up, Saaniya is also a multi-talented artiste who can sing, play the piano and ukulele, paint and write poetry.

Having undergone vocal training in Indian classical music from age 5 and sung in school choirs, her creative roots run deep.

Reflecting on her journey and empowering style of comedy, she concluded: "My comedy normally focuses on happiness and events in my life.

"When I got divorced, it was not part of my template. I then chose to see the funny side of creating my own path."

She acknowledged that while her life did not follow a standard "Disney template", her artistic voice remains rooted in self-discovery and female empowerment.

"My ultimate comedy dream is to get a Netflix special, do a world tour, and find time to relax and spend time with my family."