Ultimate Guide to Radio Advertising in the UAE
Radio is part of people’s everyday routine – ‘the lifestyle medium’, radio reaches 95% of the UAE population out and about across the day, both on air and online – impacting them closest to the time they make a purchase.
Radio advertising is one of the most cost-effective advertising vehicles available and can help you build and maintain top of mind awareness for your business, product or service.
Here is the guide of key UAE radio stations to help you narrow down your search.
Radio Stations
English Radio Stations (Mass Appeal)
The common language amongst us all & the broadest appeal in terms of music selection & station choice. Whether you are targeting Western Expats or those who have an appreciation for English music or entertainment, we’re here to help navigate the best station selection & the best solution. There’s a huge range of options from traditional commercial airtime of spots & live reads, features, show sponsorship, competitions or even station promotions & it is important to know which elements should be used & at what stage to ensure the campaign is optimised.
The UAE’s #1 Hit Music Station, Virgin Radio Dubai provides listeners with the latest hot hits and entertainment news. Whether you spend your mornings tuning into the Kris Fade Show or your ride home with Brent Black, Virgin Radio 104.4 is sure to entertain! Advertise on Virgin radio station.
Whether you are looking to score tickets to the hottest shows in Dubai at the Coca Cola Arena or simply enjoy listening to the latest hits on your way to or from work, Dubai 92 radio station has a little something for everyone. From Rich’s Remix 92 on Thursday and Friday nights to Throwback Thursdays, you won’t want to turn the dial. Advertise on Dubai 92 FM radio station.
- Luv 107.1
Two ads in a row mean more music for listeners! Are you an early riser? Luv radio station’s Breakfast with Tim, Faris & Evita will keep you entertained from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Prefer to listen later in the day? Heart Drive with Dave Cleary will keep you jamming to the latest hits on your commute home from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Advertise on Luv radio station.
‘The beat of the UAE,’ Channel 4 Radio is all about the biggest tunes, the best shows and the most insane prizes! With 24/7 online streaming, you can listen to your favorite tunes any time of the day, regardless of your location. Advertise on Channel 4.
- Beat 97.8
Beat radio station 97.8FM, the UAE’s only dance station, brings you exclusively the best in electronic music from over 100 local and international artists. With entertaining shows for earlier risers to late night listeners, there’s something for everyone. Advertise on Beat radio station.
- Radio 1 Abu Dhabi 100.5, Dubai 104.1
Radio 1 radio station is the best place to listen to non-stop music around the clock! Featuring the Radio Blitz, boasting the longest block of Top 40 Hits ad free, listeners can tune in via 100.5 in Abu Dhabi or 104.1 in Dubai. Advertise Radio 1 Radio Station.
- Radio 2 Abu Dhabi 106, Dubai 99.3
Looking for some throwback hits? Radio 2 radio station, the UAE’s Greatest HIts Station, plays hits ranging from the 1970’s to 2000’s. From the wee hours of morning through late night events, listeners can tune in via 106 in Abu Dhabi or 99.3 in Dubai. Advertise Radio 1 Radio Station
- Abu Dhabi Classic 91.6
The UAE’s first and only music station offering a relaxing mix of classical and jazz music, it’s the perfect station to listen to exceptional music, interesting interviews with musicians, and to stay in the know about upcoming events and concerts. Advertise on Abu Dhabi Classic Radio Station.
Easily the leading and most respected talk radio station in the UAE, Dubai 103.8 has kept its listeners informed via its key shows of the Business Breakfast and Off Script on the way home. With its high profile interviews and thoughtful journalism, it’s a great resource to stay up to date across News, Talk & Sport when on the move or streaming from home. Advertise on Dubai Eye radio station.
Arabic Stations
Whether you are looking for Mass campaign to all Arabic speakers or a more targeted GCC or Levant nationalities residing in the UAE, we’ll guide you to through the process to find the station most suitable to you. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Arabic – we’ve got access to multiple copywriters, translators & producers to guide you throughout the process.
Featuring the latest Arabic releases, Al Arabiya radio station 99 FM broadcasts from Dubai, providing Arabic music and programs for a wide range of listeners. Advertise on Al Arabiya radio station.
The first Arabic radio station in the UAE, Al Rabia radio station 107.8 FM offers listeners a wide range of music, entertaining programs, information, and competitions for local listeners. Advertise on Al Rabia radio station.
Playing the latest Arabic hits, Radio Hala broadcasts beautiful songs and rhythms throughout the day. With a wide variety of programs hosted by entertaining radio personalities, listeners are sure to be entertained regardless of the time of day. Advertise on Hala radio station.
- StarFM
Broadcasting nationwide from Abu Dhabi, StarFM offers listeners access to 24 hour Arabic-English pop music and programming. Advertise on Star Radio Station.
Local Arabic Stations (Emirati Stations)
Drilling down on the Arabic stations there are options that cater almost exclusively to the local Emirati population. Some are stronger in different Emirates & there are certain times of the day to really tap into this affluent demographic.
Gulf Radio 1009 is the first Arabic radio station in the United Arab Emirates that broadcasts Gulf songs and reflects the Emirati character and style. Boasting 100% Arabic entertainment, daily programming focuses on entertainment, local news, economics, sports, stock prices, and weather conditions. Advertise on Al Khaleejiya radio station.
- Emarat FM Abu Dhabi 95.8, Dubai & Sharjah 97.1
With a mission to provide listeners with the latest Emirati, Khaleeji and Arabic releases, Emarat appeals to younger audiences with the latest music and news about A-list celebrities from the region. Advertise on Emarat Radio Station.
Hindi Radio Stations
There are multiple options here with most stations playing to a particular strength and having a specific target listener in mind. Some are skewed Female others are skewed Male, some are skewed younger whilst others are going for a more mature NRI, what matters is know who your business is targeting & we’ll put forward the most accurate recommendations that will deliver the best results.
The UAE’s No.1 Bollywood Radio Station, tune in every day for the latest hits. From the hits of Badla and Kesari to the daily shows hosted by Malavika, Lokesh, Sid, and more, you’ll enjoy listening all day long. Advertise on City radio station.
Broadcasting Hindi music throughout the UAE since 1999, Radio 4 is guaranteed to keep listeners entertained by providing the hottest music and content from Bollywood. Advertise on Radio 4 Radio Station.
Listen to the latest music, hottest stars and juiciest interviews on one of the UAE’s most popular Hindi radio stations! Tune in to feel the beats in Dubai on 88.8, or from Abu Dhabi on 97.3. Advertise on KADAK Radio Station.
What happens when the UAE’s pioneer radio station merges with India’s largest radio network brand? The regions pioneer favourite becomes the regions newest BIG name! Big FM promises to provide listeners with Bollywood, Classics, Pop, Rock, Hit Music, and Entertainment programs 24/7.
Malayalum Radio Stations
With a strong history & deep trading ties, it comes as no surprise that there are many stations catering to the Malayalum speaking community of the UAE. We’ve selected the top two here that we know can deliver a result when reaching out to this demographic. This list is not definitive & we’ll be happy to add more stations to it once we can give it our stamp of approval.
Hit radio station 96.7 is the leading Malayalam FM station in the UAE broadcasting to entertain and inform the largest expatriate community in the Gulf. Whether you want to kick off your day with The Breakfast Club, win tickets to an event, or listen to your favorite songs, this is the station for you! Advertise on Hit radio station.
The leading Malayalam FM radio station in Dubai, Gold 101.3 entertains listeners with a large collection of Malayalam and Tamil songs, programming, news, and entertainment. Advertise on Gold radio station.
Filipino Radio Stations
People from the Philippines that call the UAE their home are huge in numbers and an important part of the economy. If you want to reach out to this community, we’ve got a range of options that ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck!
The first award-winning multi-platform Filipino radio station in the UAE, Tag radio station 91.1 FMbroadcasts the latest hits and news to over 428,000 listeners every week. From the hottest sounds to entertaining programming, Tag radio station 91.1 FM offers something for Filipino listeners of all ages. Advertise on TAG radio station.
Farsi Radio Stations
If you want to target the Farsi speaking demographic, you’ve got to look no further than Radio Shoma!
The UAE’s first Farsi music radio station, Radio Shoma features the hottest and most popular Farsi songs. Whether you start your day with Hanan and Mojtaba from 6:00 to 10:00 (weekdays from Sunday to Thursday) or need to reboot your energy listening to Roxana Chegini from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Sunday to Thursday), Radio Shoma has something for listeners of all ages. Advertise on Shoma radio station.
At Carrot & Stick, our radio advertising marketing team can recommend the most suitable stations for your target audience within the UAE. Together, we can help you plan your radio advertisements from start to finish to ensure you are appealing to your target audience.
Drop us a quick inquiry & we’ll guide you through the whole process from station selection, optimising your media plan, getting your ad scripted and produced then making sure everything runs smoothly, all for the best rates in town – guaranteed!
