Radio presenter Kris Fade vouches for Dubai’s capacity to give back during talk at Arab Youth Media Forum

Popular host shares his sense of fulfilment at being able to help make a positive difference to lives of others through his radio programme

Popular radio presenter Kris Fade shared his insights on why radio continues to thrive as a broadcast medium despite long-standing predictions of its decline. Speaking at the Arab Youth Media Forum, Fade emphasised Dubai’s inherent capacity to give back to the community in heart-touching ways.

Giving a talk titled ‘Dubai Gives Back’ at the Arab Youth Media Forum, Fade reflected on the countless opportunities his job has provided him to experience Dubai’s generosity and its unshakeable spirit of community. The Youth Media Forum, which concluded yesterday, is part of the Arab Media Summit, which also encompasses the Arab Media Forum, the Arab Media Award, and the Arab Social Media Influencers Award.
During his session, he shared poignant anecdotes from his shows, highlighting the profound impact of radio storytelling. He recounted the story of a distressed mother whose seven-and-a-half-year-old child had deformed hands, a working man who had lost his job and incurred debts due to a health crisis, and individuals affected by an unprecedented spell of rain in Dubai. These narratives illustrated how, after opening up on radio, the city found miraculous ways to restore happiness in their lives.

The little boy with the deformed hands had endured bullying from his peers over his plight but, once his mother shared his story, three doctors reached out to them. In the space of weeks, the boy was able to go in for corrective surgeries that restored his hands to nearly 90 percent. The unemployed man found financial support and a job in quick time; in fact, he received 11 job offers. Al Habtoor Motors chipped in with 27 new cars for those who had lost their vehicles amid the flooding and had faint hope of getting a new one. Amwaj Developments too did its bit by handing out the keys to a car to another expat, who was brought to tears by the gesture.

The campaign to help people affected by the extreme weather was truly representative of Dubai’s unique community ethos and solidarity in the worst of times, Fade said. Experiences such as these were also immensely fulfilling from a personal perspective for being able to help make a positive difference in the lives of others, he added.

As for radio, Fade said it was successful because of four factors: it was live, instant, real, and engaged the community. Hearing about other people’s troubles helped listeners appreciate the blessings in their own lives and radio provided the human connection that led to these realisations. The medium will continue to be successful as long as it provides this sense of community and human connection.

Earlier, Fade retraced his own story, having arrived in Dubai more than 16 years ago as an expat and eventually settling into his job as part of a truly global family of presenters at the Arabian Radio Network.