Larger-than-life Kris Fade has been making waves again in Dubai, giving away more than 20 cars to those who lost them in the recent floods.
The celebrity, entrepreneur and Virgin Radio presenter caught up with Campaign Middle East ahead of the massive giveaway last week.
Here’s how the morning went:
4:30 AM: Time to wake up, Dubai. Kris Fade here. I could do with an extra 20 minutes in bed after a late-night event hosting a new hotel launch last night. But I’ve got to go live. So it’s straight to the shower to get going.
5:10 AM: On the road and feeling the buzz, it’s going to be a great morning. It’s a big day on The Kris Fade Show on Virgin Radio Dubai – we’re not just talking big, we’re talking record breaking. We’ve got over 100 incredible guests lined up because today, we’re giving away 27 brand new cars to some very deserving listeners who lost their vehicles in the floods last month.
This all kicked off when a mystery donor – who only a few of us know the name of – reached out wanting to donate 10 cars. Such an amazing act of kindness to simply help people.
Al Habtoor Motors heard about it and said, “We’re in,” matching the donation. Then, Amwaj Development joined the kindness, adding even more cars to the campaign. Now because of the power of Virgin Radio, we’ve got 27 fantastic families, each with their own touching story, coming in to receive their new vehicles. What a great day.
5:45 AM: We’ve set up the Virgin Radio studio in the showroom of Al Habtoor Motors on Sheikh Zayed Road, a million people are tuned in and the energy is electric. The producers are huddled over prep notes, fine-tuning every detail of what’s coming up this morning.
On top of the car giveaways, we’re squeezing in three holiday trips and all our usual segments. It’s going to be a tight squeeze, but that’s what makes it fun. We’re ready to bring some serious joy to the airwaves today and I’ve just said to the producers lets stream it all on social too.
6:01 AM: And we’re live! Hello Mum hello Dad. Today is all about community and compassion, and we’ve made sure these car giveaways reflect the whole country and the range of amazing listeners and nationalities. From Ajman to Dubai to Sharjah, we’re touching lives across the whole of the UAE this morning on Virgin Radio.
7:00 AM: The families are starting to arrive, and there’s an emotional vibe in the air. I called one of them, Joseph, last week live on-air and it was a Zoom call and he was in a hospital bed. We end up with the whole country talking to his doctor live and giving him a brand new car. Stories like Joseph’s remind me why I do what I do.
7:30 AM: Confetti cannons are locked and loaded. We’re about to dive into these amazing stories and hand out some keys. Each family has been through so much, and seeing their faces light up is the best part of my job.
9:30 AM: What a whirlwind morning. Just when we thought we were done, the show turns in another direction again. One of our potential winners, Sara, had been struggling to get her paperwork sorted so that we could verify her as a finalist. By the time she got everything together, we had already awarded the 27 cars.
But we couldn’t just leave her hanging. So, we called her into the showroom for a surprise. She rushed over in a taxi, and live on-air, Amwaj Development stepped up, and live on-air gifted her the 28th vehicle. The look on her face? Priceless.
It was the perfect way to wrap up the show. We’ve helped change the lives of 28 families today on Virgin Radio, and that’s something I’ll never forget. Then Ali from Al Habtoor Motors added in a further 3000 dirhams so Sara could fly her son to the UAE to see her.
So, there you have it. A morning full of emotion, generosity, and Dubai spirit. That’s what the show is all about – connecting with people, sharing their stories, and making a real difference. Time to take a quick nap as on Monday morning we do it all over again.
The Kris Fade Show is broadcast each weekday morning from 6am-10am on the UAE’s number 1 hit music station, Virgin Radio Dubai 104.4, and streamed live online via ARN Play.
