Nihad Quali teamed up with Duraid Lahham at the launch of Syrian TV in July 1960. They created a duo similar to that of Laurel & Hardy, performing black & white comedies like Hamam al-Hana, Maqaleb Ghawwar, and Sah al-Nawm. After 1967, they began staging political plays, like Masrah al-Shawk and Dayat Tishreen. In 1976, while performing the political satire play "Ghorba" Nihad Quali suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed, forcing him to end his acting career at the age of 46.