Ali al-Mdfa

Ali al-Mdfa (born on September 6, 1937) is a Saudi actor and drama writer. He began his artistic career by presenting improvised theater performances at sports clubs and later produced a number of works, moving between radio, television, and theater. His career spanned approximately fifty years. He was honored with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Joy Awards ceremony, held during Riyadh Season in 2024.

Ali al-Mdfa was born in al-Mithnab Governorate in Qassim Province. In the early 1970s, his interest in the arts began to grow, and he, along with his neighborhood friends—Mohammed al-Mansour, Mohammed al-Muzaini, and Ali al-Huyerini—would go to al-Hilal Club’s headquarters to perform improvised folk plays for a modest fee.

After the launch of Saudi television, Ali al-Mdfa transitioned from performing improvised shows to working in television. Among his early television works was al-Dhaif al-Ghareeb (The Strange Guest), written and directed by Ibrahim al-Hamdan. He began participating in drama series, including the series Fa'el Khair (Good Samaritan), which aired in 1974 and was the first Saudi series to be broadcast in color.

Ali al-Mdfa contributed to radio, television, and theater. In radio, he presented the program Suwar Masmua (Audible Images) and created Hiwar Qasir (Short Dialogue), a show he wrote himself, which ran for seventeen years. In television, al-Mdfa played leading roles in several series, including Maqalib Min al-Hayat (Pranks of Life) in 1979, Awdat Aswid (The Return of Aswid) in 1985, followed by Hikayat Qasira (Short Stories), Abu Mash’ab, and al-Awlama (Globalization). He also participated in the popular Ramadan comedy series Tash Ma Tash in most of its seasons and episodes.

He also participated in the series Bayni W Baynak (Between You and Me) in 2007, Mazna and Family, Thirty-Seven Degrees Celsius, and Amsha Bint Amash. In 2010, he appeared in the series Siktum Biktum, which ran for four seasons, followed by Shabab al-Bomb, which he has been part of since 2012. Additionally, he starred in Selfie with Nasser al-Qasabi, Bdoon Filter ( without filter) with Abdullah al-Sadhan, and Ghashmash with Fahd al-Hayyan. Among his contributions to Saudi theater are Awdat Hamood wa Mheimed (The Return of Hamood and Mheimed), Taht al-Karasi (Under the Chairs), Dars Khususi (Private Lesson), and Qitar al-Haz (The Train of Luck). He also founded a folk troupe named al-Kattatib, led by his son Tariq.

The General Entertainment Authority honored Ali al-Mdfa on January 21, 2024, with the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Joy Awards ceremony, organized by the authority during Riyadh Season.