Imah Dumagay (born Fatimah Dumagay) is a Filipina stand-up comedian based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She is recognized as the first Filipina to establish an English stand-up comedy career in the Gulf region^[1][2]. Dumagay’s comedy often tackles cultural stereotypes and the experiences of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East​^[3]. Active since 2018, she has performed numerous shows that have drawn international audiences and achieved sell-out crowds​. She has also been honored with local entertainment awards for her contributions to the comedy scene^[3].

Imah Dumagay was born and raised in Cotabato City, in the southern Philippines​^[1] (her nickname "Imah" is derived from her given name, Fatimah.) In 2008, she moved to Dubai to pursue opportunities abroad^[3]​. For about a decade, Dumagay worked in Dubai’s corporate sector – including a stint as an accountant and as an executive assistant to a chief financial officer at one of Dubai's property developer^[4]​. She also held roles in advertising and banking during these years​. Despite a stable corporate career, she had a passion for humor and was often told she had a knack for making people laugh. This eventually led her to consider trying stand-up comedy.

In 2018, after taking an acting, stage monologue, and comedy workshop , Dumagay began performing at local open-mic nights​. The next year, she co-founded Comedy Kix, a comedy club in Dubai, where she and her partner comedian Amr Elassal started hosting regular shows​^[3] . As a newcomer, she quickly gained attention for her observational humor about Filipinos working abroad, delivered in English with rapid-fire punchlines. Her early routines included jokes about being mistaken for a waitress – a real experience she encountered – which she turned into a popular opening bit to challenge stereotypes​​^[3].

Dumagay’s talent and unique perspective led her to share the stage with more established acts in the early stage of her comedy journey. She opened for well-known international comedians such as Zakir Khan in October 2018, ​and performed in line-ups alongside African comedy stars like Eric Omondi, Bovi, Kenny Blaq, Eddie Kadie and Basketmouth during the November 2018 Dubai Global Comedy Fest​ ^[5]. She also collaborated with prominent UAE-based comedians, including her mentors Mina Liccione and Ali Al Sayed; and Nitin Mirani further honing her craft in the multicultural Dubai comedy circuit​. By 2019, she was performing almost nightly at various venues, building a reputation as one of the UAE’s notable up-and-coming comics. She also opened for Axel Blake (winner 2022 series of Britain's Got Talent) at UBK, Dubai in March 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and live events slowed down, Dumagay shifted to online content, posting comedy videos that garnered millions of views and helped grow her social media following — eventually amassing over 90,000 followers on TikTok ^[6].

In November 27, 2020, Dumagay achieved a significant milestone by staging her first sold-out solo stand-up comedy special, titled "Imah’s Day Off," at The Theatre in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates^[7][8]. The show was a sold-out success^[9], making her the first Filipina in the region to headline a full-length English stand-up comedy show. Building on that momentum, she premiered her second show, "The Shelarious Imah," in March 2021 at the same venue^[10]. This performance was part of a growing comedy revival in Dubai and solidified her status as a leading local comic. In May 2021, Dumagay was featured in the Dubai Comedy Festival^[11], becoming the first Filipino act to appear in the city's high-profile comedy event. She has since become a staple of the festival, appearing in its annual lineups from 2021 onward.

In 2021, Dumagay also began receiving international media attention. In August of that year, the Associated Press profiled Dumagay’s rising career in Dubai, describing how her stand-up offers an unfiltered look into the experiences of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East. The article noted her decision to leave her corporate job earlier that year to pursue comedy full-time and highlighted her pivot to digital content creation during the pandemic. Dumagay told the AP that she aims to be a voice for her fellow OFWs while encouraging others to step out of their comfort zones and try new things.^[12]

By September 2021, she launched her third stand-up special, "IMAH: A Dose of Laughter," also at The Theatre in Mall of the Emirates. Like her previous shows, it drew a large audience and positive reception. Reviewers noted that her material — drawn from her own life as an expatriate and the absurdities of cross-cultural situations — resonated with Dubai’s diverse crowd. Dumagay’s ability to infuse social commentary into punchlines (for example, highlighting how Filipina workers are often stereotyped in the Gulf) earned praise for being both funny and thought-provoking.^[13]

In February 2022, she was featured on Radio France Internationale’s (RFI) cultural program Vous m’en direz des nouvelles, where she was recognized as a pioneering figure in Dubai’s stand-up comedy scene^[14]. Later in 2022, television network TV5Monde profiled her in its magazine show Maghreb-Orient Express, airing a behind-the-scenes report on her new comedy special, "Make Laugh With Imah", and noting that she was one of the few comedians in the United Arab Emirates able to earn a living from stand-up​.^[15]

In September 2023, Dumagay expanded her reach by launching her first GCC tour, titled "Funny Filipinos," alongside renowned Filipino comedians Alex Calleja and Andrew Orolfo. The tour included performances in Bahrain^[16], Oman^[17], and Dubai^[18], showcasing Filipino comedic talent across the Gulf region and was met with enthusiasm from audiences, highlighting the growing appreciation for Filipino comedy in the Middle East. ​

Earlier that year, she was invited as a special guest performer at Sun Siyam Resorts in the Maldives, for a resort-wide celebration themed around joy and well-being in connection with World Laughter Day 2023. Held at the Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort, Dumagay co-headlined the beachfront comedy night alongside Egyptian comedian Amr Elassal, entertaining international guests as part of the week’s festivities. ​

In 2024, Dumagay was part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Comedy Week^[19], further expanding her presence to another major comedy platform in the UAE and solidifying her status as one of the most prominent stand-up comedians in the region.

She performs regularly at Comedy Kix shows and other comedy nights in the UAE, and has toured her act to other Middle Eastern venues. In February 2022, she performed in her home country for the first time, co-headlining a show in Manila with Alex Calleja organized by The Comedy Crew.

• Tag 91.1 “Tag Choice Awards” – Favorite Pinoy Local Performer (2022): Dumagay won the popular vote-based award for being the UAE’s favorite local Filipino performer in 2022​^[20] . This honor, given by the Filipino radio station Tag 91.1, recognized her impact on the local entertainment scene.
• Emirates Influencer Award (2022): In the same year, she received an Emirates Influencer Award (organized by WeTel TV in partnership with Etisalat), acknowledging her as a prominent social media and comedy content creator in the UAE​ ^[21].

Dumagay’s personal life often intertwines with her comedy. She was first married to a Syrian, a chapter of her life that she humorously references in her acts, and later remarried – her current husband is Egyptian^[12]​. Her cross-cultural marriage has provided material for her stage routines, where she jokes about the mix of Filipino and Middle Eastern cultural quirks. Outside of the spotlight, Imah Dumagay tends to keep her personal life low-key, focusing public attention on her work and performances.

• Official website