On his way into the Oscars ceremony – where he would later pick up the coveted Best Actor award – Casey Affleck stopped for a quick communal cry with Kris Fade.
UAE celebrity Fade was on the other side of the cameras earlier today (February 27), stalking the red carpet for a special regional broadcast for OSN – and nabbing interviews with A-list attendees including Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Andrew Garfield.
When Fade stopped Affleck for a chat, neither man had any idea the actor would pick up a statuette for his lead role in indie weeper Manchester By the Sea.
“I told Casey, I’m not a crying man, but after watching his movie, there was a slight tear,” says Fade.
“He said to me ‘mate, everyman should be able to cry freely’, come on let’s have a little cry together’ – it was pretty funny.”
Fade spoke to The National straight from the red carpet, where he was presenting alongside Habiba Basiony, while the ceremony was reaching its final stages – and just minutes after Affleck was announced as the winner.
“I think [Affleck] was a little shocked where he was, and if you watch him accepting his Oscar just now, it feels like he was still in shock,” adds Fade.
Affleck wasn’t the only one feeling starstruck. Fade might be the UAE’s most-recognisable media face, but was clearly humbled by the Oscars gig – which took place coincidently on the night he turned 37-years-old.
“I think this is one of the best birthday presents I could ever get,” says Fade. “It’s chaotic, it’s media against media, but at the end of it, once it’s all done, you just take a deep breath and go ‘wow, did that really happen?’.
“At one stage I was chatting with Samuel L Jackson, and he stopped to have a conversation with Nicole Kidman – so you’re standing watching them talk – and then Samuel comes back and in your head your like, ‘what am I doing here? This is ridiculous’. The entire three hours was a wow moment.”
The footage will be aired tonight at 7.45 UAE time, as part of a special regional segment before OSN’s 8pm repeat of the complete 89th Academy Awards, which took place at Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday January 26 local time.
Fade says media from just 33 countries were accredited to work the red carpet – but that being from the Middle East helped them stand out from the crowd.
“You’ve got the world’s media there and I’m really really proud of OSN and us, because we got probably the most out of any media outlet,” adds the Australian-Lebanese presenter, who is best known for his daily show on Virgin Radio.
“What I love – you’ve got to get the attention of the actors coming through – everyone’s screaming – but as soon as you mention the Middle East, I swear, it’s instantly bang.”
The gig also offered Fade the chance to catch up with Jackie Chan, who in 2015 enjoyed an extended stay in the emirates shooting his recently released Kung Fu Yoga. Chan was recognised with an honorary Oscar recognising 56 years in film, and appeared on the red carpet carrying two stuffed pandas.
“Jackie filmed in Dubai, so as soon as he saw us he was excited,” adds Fade. “It was so humbling talking to him, and I just thought ‘wow, this a guy that didn’t need to stop and do the entire red carpet, but he did’ – and you know, he’s a funny guy.”
Nearly as much as the awards themselves, the world’s media is quick to weigh in with winners and losers in women’s fashion. Asked to pick the best-dressed female from his front row view, Fade is torn between two leading ladies.
“First of all, Salma Hayek – Salma doesn’t age, she’s just stunning, she was wearing this golden dress and she just looked spectacular,” says Fade.
“And then – about five minutes after that Halle Berry ran out from the red carpet – not only was her hair spectacular but what she was wearing – she looked great.”
Fade, for his part, kept things classic in a black tuxedo.
“The funniest conversation I was having with the boys earlier – for us it’s so easy, we literally just put our tux on and head out the door,” adds Fade. “I feel sorry for all the ladies.”
As much as the awards themselves, the Oscars are renowned for their celebrity tier-levelling after-parties. When we spoke to Fade at the end of a long day's work, he was thinking about taking an early night, but said he might be tempted to pop in at an E! News party in his hotel, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, attended by Kris Jenner and Giuliana Rancic.
“The world of celebrity is looking pretty good,” added Fade. “Hollywood is hollywood man – it’s crazy, the whole idea of it is absolutely ridiculous.”
rgarratt@thenational.ae
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
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Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Company%20profile%20
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THE SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Boston%20Strangler
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Ruskin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKeira%20Knightley%2C%20Carrie%20Coon%2C%20Alessandro%20Nivola%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures
Thursday, November 30:
10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders
Friday, December 1:
9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
