Name: ‘You think this is Aladdin?’: Comedian stuck in Dubai on US evacuation
Uploaded: 2026-03-05T16:32:52.000Z
Duration: 13 min 3 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Basic passive voice

The airports are closed, the airspace is closed.

Some hopeful news for the thousands of Americans stuck in the Middle East.

The State Department says a charter flight full of US Citizens has left the region tonight, adding that more flights are on the way.

This comes just days after Americans were urged to leave the Middle east immediately.

Those Americans who need help getting out have been advised to call the 247 State Department hotline at 1202-501-4444.

But as recently as yesterday, people calling that number heard this message telling them, well, you're on your own.

If you are calling about the crisis in the Middle east, please press 1.

Please do not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time.

There are currently no United States evacuation points.

Now, to be clear, that message has since been changed, and

Americans in need of help are still advised to call that number.

But the incident has only added to the anxiety of those people who are still stuck overseas.

My next guest, though, is turning to levity to try to get through it all.

America just put out a statement that if you're an American in the Middle east, you need to leave now, asap.

Tell me, please, how am I supposed to leave, huh?

You want me to hop on a magic carpet and get back home?

No, honestly, if I could do a magic carpet, I leave.

If you have information, which you might tell me how to turn this carpet and I'll.

Bad comedian Nasser El Reyes joins me now from Dubai.

Nasser, I mean, you have been in Dubai for over a week.

I understand you go there every year during Ramadan to visit family and friends.

But can you tell me at what point did it become clear that you wouldn't be able to leave?

It was very clear around, like, 4, 4pm Saturday, that when I heard the first explosion in the air, I was like, I called my mom.

And she was not happy to hear that, to say the least.

We've kind of walked through this journey with you.

You actually recorded your experience calling that hotline just yesterday.

Do you know what happened when I called the number?

If you're calling about the crisis in the Middle east, please press 1 1, not press 2.

Please continue to check the embassy's website for updated information.

Am I in a Hunger Games movie now and I didn't choose to be in it?

I mean, I have to smile because the way you present it makes me do it, I gotta tell you.

But I take it you're not thrilled with how they have handled this.

I mean, have you been able to get in contact with them since?

Honestly, after hearing that message once, the trauma that you get and the gaslight feelings you have, you kind of just don't want to pick up the phone ever again.

I used to have some stress and anxiety from the explosions and the interceptions out here over the head, but

now I have more stress and anxiety towards how the US Government really is not caring about American citizens.

When you call the hotline, it says you're on your own.

And so I'm not sure what to do at this point.

My mom is calling me almost every two hours, wanting me to come back home.

I'm safe, which is the most important thing.

I mean, I know that we're learning that charter flights, facilitated by the US they have begun evacuating citizens.

The State Department says there are more on their way, but

they wouldn't commit or comment on when these flights would take off, citing, of course, security concerns.

Have you been given any indication on a timeline or any kind of timeline of how soon you might be able to return home?

If you've heard something, please, Laura, let me know, because I have heard nothing.

And the situation at this point is that I watched the news and I'm being gaslit by the press secretary of the United States saying it's my fault that I'm in this situation, when honestly, the actions of the government put me in this situation.

And now there's no information at all about when the.

I'm consistently looking on Twitter or X whatever they call it, to see if there's information, but

there's not anything that I've heard so far.

they've all gotten canceled around four hours before I get to the airport.

And so I'm not really sure what to do, but I'm doing fine.

It shows that if a man wanted to, he would, even during a war.

So I'm enjoying my time as much as possible.

I love that you can find this silver lining because I can imagine how stressful and scary it has been for so many people who are still stuck.

But of course, you are doing what you do best and finding humor.

How have you been able to find the humor in these moments?

Subtitles ListPlay Video

‘You think this is Aladdin?’: Comedian stuck in Dubai on US evacuation

literally

anxiety

stick

privilege