Abdulaziz al-Hazaa

Abdulaziz Hazaa al-Hazaa (1937–2024), a Saudi drama actor in radio and television in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, worked in the field for nearly fifty years. He was nicknamed "A Group in One Man" due to his diverse talents in acting and voice imitation. He is considered a pioneer of improvised popular comedy in the Kingdom. He assumed the position of Director of Theatrical Arts.

Born in Unayzah City in Qassim Province, Abdulaziz al-Hazaa grew up an orphan. At the age of twelve, he traveled on foot for two months with a caravan to al-Jubayl City in the Eastern Province. There, he worked as a servant for the caravan leader, then as a houseboy in his home, and later on his farm. After several years, he returned to Qassim, joined an orphanage, and obtained his primary education certificate. He then worked as a houseboy, later as a cook, and eventually became a teacher in Unayzah and al-Jubayl, before being transferred to Riyadh as an educator.

Abdulaziz al-Hazaa returned to the Eastern Province, specifically to Rahima (Ras Tannurah), where he worked for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) in the oil measurement office. It was here that he began his acting career, with his first character being a Bedouin, inspired by a Bedouin individual who frequented the company's office. He expanded his repertoire to include various voices, eventually performing up to seventeen different voices, including sound effects. One of his notable works is the play "Bedouin on the Plane," which he performed later on.

While working as a teacher in al-Jubayl City, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited al-Jubayl in 1953. During a ceremony held at the school where al-Hazaa worked, he was asked to perform before the king. In a televised interview, he recounted: "I performed behind a curtain, and the audience could only hear my voice. I portrayed various characters. One of the officers informed King Saud that all the voices he was hearing came from one person. The king admired my performance and invited me to perform at his palace in Dammam in the presence of members of the royal family. He later requested that I stay with him and would often invite me to the palace when he hosted Arab leaders and dignitaries. Among these were King Hussein Bin Talal of Jordan and King Faisal II of Iraq." Al-Hazaa also mentioned an event held in honor of King Faisal II at King Abdulaziz Military Base in Riyadh. He said, "I performed behind a curtain, presenting various voices as part of a story. King Saud told his guest that all the voices he was hearing were done by one person. This astonished and impressed the guest, who then requested that I travel to Iraq." Indeed, al-Hazaa traveled to Iraq, where he performed before the royal family at al-Rihab Palace. He presented his famous act, Bedouin on the Plane, which he also recorded for Iraqi radio and later for Iraqi television.

The play "Bedouin on the Plane" achieved local fame and recognition across the Arabian Gulf. Al-Hazaa is considered a pioneer of improvised popular comedy in the Kingdom, being the first to perform improvised comedic acting and transforming it into a means of interpreting social life. Most of his works revolved around social changes.

Al-Hazaa moved to Kuwait in the 1960s, where he lived for a period and worked as an employee in the Kuwaiti media sector. He later relocated to Riyadh and worked for Saudi Radio.

Abdulaziz al-Hazaa began collaborating with Saudi Radio in 1954 through the radio series "The Diaries of Umm Hdeijan." He became well-known for portraying the female character Umm Hdeijan, performing her voice as well as the voices of other characters in the series. The show gained widespread acclaim, with listeners eagerly tuning in to its episodes, which were broadcast on the radio after Maghrib prayer. He continued performing the character of Umm Hdeijan for more than sixty years. In addition to voicing the characters, al-Hazaa improvised the script while preparing brief outlines of the story in advance. The series was initially directed by the late Saeed al-Hindi, followed by Abdulrahman al-Muqrin, Hamad al-Subai, Mohammed al-Shaalan, and Abdullah al-Tahtam. The series addressed various social issues in a purposeful comedic format.

In addition to "Bedouin on the Plane" and "The Diaries of Umm Hdeijan," Abdulaziz al-Hazaa presented other works, including "Path of Love," "Take It Easy," and "The Forgiving Is Generous," among other artistic productions that tackled social issues.

Abdulaziz al-Hazaa passed away on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the age of eighty-six.