Dubai in short
What the planning records currently cover for the city.
How do you advertise on the radio in Dubai?
Choose the listener and the language first, then compare Dubai stations by programme, time band and schedule weight. Confirm the spot length, the number of broadcasts, the audio versions, the local charges, the station file requirements and the post-campaign proof before booking. Dubai carries several distinct radio audiences: your English, Hindi and Malayalam customers use different stations, and so do Arabic and Filipino communities. Start with the people who buy your product, then choose the station. The time band and frequency are set once the shortlist is clear.
Radio stations to consider in Dubai
A starting shortlist. Current station details, time bands and rates are confirmed for your dates.
| Goal | Language or programme position | Suitable campaign direction |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Radio Dubai 104.4 | English hit music | Youth, entertainment, retail and consumer launches |
| Dubai 92 | English music with a family position | Family, retail, education and lifestyle campaigns |
| Dubai Eye 103.8 | English business, news, current affairs and sport | Business services, property and professional audiences |
| City 101.6 | Hindi and Bollywood | Indian expatriate audiences and Hindi-led offers |
| Hit 96.7 | Malayalam | Malayalam-speaking residents and Kerala-focused brands |
| Tag 91.1 | Filipino | Filipino residents and community campaigns |
| Al Arabiya 99 | Arabic music | Arabic-speaking residents and consumer campaigns |
| Al Khaleejiya 100.9 | Khaleeji music | Emirati and Gulf Arab audiences |
| Radio Shoma 93.4 | Persian | Persian-speaking listeners |
Formats available in Dubai
Four ways onto Dubai airtime. Availability and commercial terms are confirmed per station and campaign period.
Plan my formats
Recorded spots and jingles
Supplied or produced at the booked length, running inside selected commercial breaks to the final schedule. Best for store openings, events, service launches, offers and brand recall.
Presenter mentions
The presenter reads your confirmed message during a named programme. The script needs confirmed brand pronunciation, offer terms and prices before submission. Best for local explanation and campaigns that need a familiar station voice.
Time checks and sponsored features
Your message attaches to a recurring time announcement, bulletin or fixed feature, with deliverables and schedule listed in the station proposal. Best for a consistent position across several days or weeks.
Programme sponsorships and competitions
Support a named show or station competition. Packages may include sponsor lines, recorded spots, presenter mentions and station online ads. Best for a closer association with one programme audience.
How to plan the time bands
The best plan follows your audience routine. A business service may suit Dubai Eye 103.8, while a retail offer often works harder with repeated music spots. The band is agreed before booking, and the final schedule shows the exact broadcast window and daily frequency.
Plan my daypartsMorning drive
BreakfastReaches people during daily travel, when the in-car audience is largest and most likely to hear a message all the way through.
Daytime
MiddaySupports work and retail listening. Lower rate per spot, which is usually how a schedule buys the frequency it needs.
Evening drive
DriveThe other half of the daily travel window, and the one closest to a decision about the evening.
Overnight
Off-peakFollows a different rate basis again. Useful for extending frequency without adding much to the total.
The three factors that change Dubai radio rates
Before comparing two quotes, check they are being moved by the same things.
Station and programme
An English music show and an Arabic programme serve different audiences, and so does a Dubai Eye 103.8 business segment. Demand for that specific programme is what moves the rate, not the station name on its own.
Time band and spot frequency
Breakfast, daytime, evening drive and overnight inventory are priced separately. A Dubai 92 record divides the day into eight bookable time bands, so a comparison made station by station rather than band by band will mislead you.
Campaign dates and format
Retail periods, Ramadan, Eid and major city events all affect demand. A standard recorded spot also carries a different rate basis from a presenter mention, a programme sponsorship or a competition.
What must appear in a Dubai quote
Dubai airtime is planned by station, spot length, time band and number of broadcasts. The proposal should show the confirmed currency and rate for each station, and list production, sponsorship charges and applicable tax separately. Use this as a checklist against any quote, whoever it comes from.
Nothing here is a published rate card. Current currency, rates and minimum billing are confirmed for your chosen stations, each figure beside its time band.
Get a costed schedule| Format | What must appear in the quote |
|---|---|
| Station | Full station name and frequency |
| Spot | Booked length and audio format |
| Time band | Exact broadcast window |
| Frequency | Spots per day and number of campaign days |
| Commercials | Confirmed airtime currency and rate, production charges and applicable tax |
| Reporting | Available station confirmation, log or monitoring report |
Audio files and station submission
The script should be final before station review, with brand names, offer dates, prices and any required claims written exactly as listeners must hear them. Language adaptation is done for meaning rather than word for word, so each version sounds natural to its own listeners while the confirmed offer stays identical across all of them. Production files are then coordinated and submitted to the broadcaster in the requested duration and format. This service covers media and material coordination only.
Why radio advertising works in Dubai
Three things about this city that make the medium punch above its cost.
Language-led audience selection
Dubai stations let you plan around one language community. Put the whole budget there, or run several audio versions across a set station mix.
Frequency across the campaign timeline
Your message returns at set points through the week. A consistent voice makes the brand familiar without the offer having to change.
Programme context
Music and business programmes put a campaign in very different settings. The show you pick should fit the message as much as the listener.
How to book radio advertising in Dubai
Four steps from brief to proof, with a client decision at each one.
Send the Dubai brief
The audience, preferred language, dates, spot length, daily frequency and budget. Include the confirmed audio, or ask for production in the languages you need.
Compare stations band by band
We return named Dubai options with the programme position, format, schedule weight and current quoted rates. A single station can divide its day into several bookable bands, so the comparison is made band by band rather than station by station.
Confirm the script and booking
You confirm the script, audio and commercial schedule before anything is booked. The Dubai team submits the material and relays any technical format comments before the first broadcast.
Receive the agreed campaign proof
The booking runs against the final schedule and against the document named in the proposal. The team collects the available station confirmation, broadcast log or monitoring report afterwards.
“The local team compares the station options, coordinates the current inventory, manages the audio requirements and follows the booking through to whatever post-campaign document was agreed. You get the station, language, programme or time band, spot length, frequency, dates and quoted cost before sign-off, and every station on the list is there because it fits the brief rather than because it was easy to book.”
Radio stations in Dubai
Real stations with published packages. Every campaign is quoted against current availability.
Dubai radio advertising, answered
Which Dubai radio station should I advertise on?
Start with the audience. Virgin Radio Dubai 104.4 and Dubai 92 offer different English positions, City 101.6 serves Hindi listeners and Hit 96.7 serves Malayalam listeners.
How much does a radio advertisement cost in Dubai?
It depends on the station, time band, spot length, daily frequency, campaign dates and format. The proposal should show the confirmed currency and current rate for each station, and separate production, sponsorship charges and applicable tax.
Can I advertise only during Dubai drive time?
Yes, subject to availability. A schedule can sit entirely in breakfast or evening drive, or combine them with daytime spots to extend frequency. The exact broadcast windows are listed in the plan.
Can one campaign use English, Arabic and Hindi audio?
Yes. Each version needs a confirmed script, natural pronunciation and identical offer terms. The station mix is then chosen for the audience attached to each language.
How early should I prepare the audio?
It depends on the broadcaster submission window, the format and whether a new recording is needed. Send the script and language versions early enough for production, your confirmation and delivery before the booked start date.
What do I receive after the Dubai campaign?
A station confirmation, a broadcast log or a monitoring report, depending on the broadcaster and booking. The exact document is named in the proposal before booking.
Get a Dubai station plan.
Send the audience, language, dates, spot length and budget. The Dubai team returns a station shortlist with time bands, formats and current quoted rates.