With the Gulf rapidly emerging as a global destination for sports, entertainment, and cultural investment, KS Konnect has been established as a strategic platform dedicated to delivering global talent, high value sports and entertainment IP, and culturally aligned storytelling initiatives that support national vision and regional ambition. Founded by Kris Fade and Sarah Omolewu, KS Konnect works alongside governments, institutions, and brands to identify, structure, and activate world class entertainment and sports partnerships across the region.
Fade’s career closely mirrors the rise of the UAE’s modern entertainment landscape. Dubbed “the Ryan Seacrest of the Middle East,” Fade is one of the region’s most recognizable media figures. In 2007, he helped launch Virgin Radio with The Kris Fade Show, which went on to become the region’s number one radio show. Known for bridging global celebrities, brands, and audiences through media, entertainment, and live cultural moments, Fade has also expanded his profile internationally as a star of the global Netflix series Dubai Bling. He is also the founder of Fade Fit, the fastest growing snack brand in the UAE.
“Sarah and I have worked together on some of the most high impact campaigns in the region over the years,” said Fade. “What’s happening in the Middle East right now is unprecedented. Sports, entertainment, and culture here are commanding global attention. KS Konnect was created to help connect the right talent, IP, and cultural storytelling to that momentum in a way that resonates locally and travels globally.”
Omolewu’s journey in the region began over a decade ago, when she relocated from the United States after identifying a clear gap in how global entertainment engaged with the Middle East. She went on to found Maven Marketing and Events, contributing significantly to the foundations of entertainment marketing in the GCC and helping shape the playbook that brands, agencies, and government entities now follow when working with global talent and cultural storytellers. Her work has earned her recognition among CEO Middle East’s 50 Most Influential Women in the Arab World and placement on the Top 100 Most Influential People in the UAE list for three consecutive years.
Her track record includes several defining regional firsts, the region’s first major basketball event, the DMCC Kobe Bryant Health and Fitness Weekend, the GCC’s first private sector led blockbuster movie premiere, Suicide Squad with Will Smith, and the region’s first celebrity led paid activations for Dubai Tourism, a partnership she supported over five years as Dubai built its global tourism narrative. She also spearheaded the first celebrity speaker programming in Saudi Arabia for the Misk Global Forum in 2018, ahead of the Kingdom’s major cultural opening.
Beyond entertainment, Omolewu founded Access Abu Dhabi, a three year global expansion program developed in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, supporting international companies, with a focus on women and minority led founders, as they establish and scale operations in the UAE.
“For more than a decade, my work has focused on helping global talent, brands, and storytellers navigate the Middle East with cultural fluency and strategic alignment,” said Omolewu. “KS Konnect is a continuation of that journey. Today, governments and institutions across the region are actively seeking global IP, talent, and storytelling capabilities that support economic growth and cultural ambition. KS Konnect exists to meet that demand, thoughtfully, responsibly, and at scale.”
KS Konnect enters the market with early momentum through a strategic collaboration with The Sustainable City Dubai, one of the world’s largest net zero communities and a global benchmark for sustainable urban development. In parallel, as part of a regional promotional campaign with Disney and National Geographic, KS Konnect is producing the Middle East premiere and influencer led activations for Pole to Pole with Will Smith.
As part of its launch, KS Konnect also announced a strategic partnership with the International Sports and Entertainment Zone (ISEZA), the UAE’s pioneering Free Zone cluster dedicated specifically to the sports and entertainment industries. Operating within the Dubai World Trade Center framework, ISEZA streamlines support for global and regional companies entering the UAE. Under the agreement, KS Konnect is appointed as ISEZA’s Official Talent and IP Agency Partner, supporting the attraction, development, and activation of global entertainment and sports IP, talent, and large scale campaigns, in alignment with Dubai’s broader economic and tourism strategies.
With KS Konnect now formally established, Fade and Omolewu are clear that this is not about reinvention, but evolution.
“The region’s biggest cultural and entertainment stories are still being written,” Fade said. “KS Konnect is about making sure the right partners, talent, and ideas come together to tell them.”
