A Need-to-know Guide to Filming in Dubai, UAE

Dubai offers unique opportunities for international productions choosing the destination to produce content. With a range of diverse and iconic locations, ideal weather, state-of-the-art infrastructure and a plethora of creative talent to collaborate with, Dubai is a truly exceptional city for content capture of any kind.

Here are 4 factors to consider when choosing Dubai as your location of choice:

1. Local Production House

The very first step is to partner with a local production company, specifically one that is registered with the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC). A local production company can help with a variety of different aspects, including country insights or locations that you may not be aware of, but most importantly, it will be your authorised local production partner that is able to process location permits through the DFTC government portal on your behalf.

We are incredibly fortunate in Dubai as the government has outlined a very clear and easy process through the DFTCs online portal to gain film permits. The portal outlines a specific process, complete with templates, to ensure production companies share the correct information for approval. It is worth noting, however, that many locations do require further approvals, this could be from additional government entities or from the location owner themselves.

The DFTC website outlines this information alongside offering a list of registered production houses in Dubai on their roster.

2. Location Permits

The DFTC portal is where your local production partner will obtain government approval for your chosen locations. To obtain approval, the below is a basic list of requirements you will need to share for permit processing:

• Script/Storyboard – Include details on the type of production, final outputs and distribution.
• DFTC Commissioning Letter – A letter stating the client is commissioning the local production company to obtain permits for their production.
• List of Crew names and role on production, with their passport copies (Passport with at least 6-months validity).
• Equipment List.
• Shooting schedule – As detailed as possible, a rough guide in the early stages will suffice.
• Location specific details, or scene specific requirements – Aspects that could impact the location e.g. You want to shoot in a restaurant and require the full space to be empty (Drastically different request from only needing a table).
• Are you showcasing UAE culture?

The above is a basic list of requirements your local partner will request, but we always suggest sharing as much detail as possible to ensure both the DFTC and location understand what you intend on producing.

Timelines to obtain approval can vary depending on the locations themselves – A general rule we follow at 815 Studios is to allow for 30+ days for the full process if scouting for locations is not a requirement. It is possible to gain location permission within 1-3 days in Dubai, but often, there may be a dialogue with the location on specifics, and there could be additional government entities you will need to gain approval from. E.g. To shoot on a Dubai beach you will require approval from Dubai Municipality, of which, can take 10 business days for approval.

The DFTC will not issue your permit unless you have all the necessary government approvals. Give yourself and your local production partner a good amount of time to understand your requirements, prepare what is needed for the online submission and gain all approvals.

In terms of cost, firstly, the DFTC have a processing fee of AED520 per submission, which can feature all your locations.

In Dubai you have Private locations and Government locations:

• Private Locations – Most of the modern tourist locations in Dubai are private. These locations can charge you up to AED25,000 for a period of 24-hours. Some private locations will charge the full amount regardless of your production requirements, but others, will take your specific requirements into consideration basing their fee on the scale of your production and disruption to their location.
• Government Locations – These include public streets, parks, desert and heritage sites. You can hire these locations for AED2,500 which will be for a 3–7-day period depending on the production type.

As Dubai is constantly expanding and new locations are appearing on the map all the time, the DFTC have made it possible for production houses to register an unlisted location. A really great addition to the portal and service they provide, but one that can require more days if you request a location that is unlisted.

3. Hiring Local Crew & Equipment

Dubai has a growing film industry with skilled professionals from all over the globe offering their expertise. You can outsource your full production in Dubai or fly-in with a crew hiring support where needed.

When it comes to equipment, Dubai has several very professional rental companies who would happily support your production. The rental company should be able to support with all the requests you have with equipment, except for a handful of items depending on how new they are to the market. If the items are unavailable, it is not uncommon for the rental to seek the kit for you elsewhere, before offering you an alternate option – Many of these rental companies will have in-house technical crew, mainly in the lighting, camera and grip departments, a good option for additional support if needed.

When it comes to crew, Dubai offers a deep pool of creatives, from freelancers to full on production teams. You will find support with all production departments including Directors, DOP’s, Sound, Camera, Lighting, Make-Up & Hair Styling, Art Department, Food Styling, Photography, Catering, Transportation and more. You name it, you’ll find it.

To ensure you find the best crew and rental company, lean on your local production partner for recommendations and trusted suppliers.

4. Weather

From what you hear about Dubai across media channels, Dubai is a sunny metropolis with clear blue skies, and it is, most of the time. But! You still need to be considerate of weather, particularly in terms of the heat at outdoor locations…

The summer months in Dubai are incredibly hot, June to September, August being the peak of the heat averaging a daily high of 44 C with lowest temperatures averaging 30 C. For any outdoor production we recommend aiming for October to April to avoid the incredibly high temperatures. If you can’t shift production to outside of summer months, try to plan your production utilising interior locations. Sometimes an outdoor shoot is a must in the summer, all industry folk in Dubai have endured a shoot in the summer heat, just plan to keep your crew safe; lots of water, sun cream, shaded areas and an indoor area with A/C.

Like any country, Dubai does experience different weather. Rain, fog, high winds and sandstorms we experience every year in Dubai, just not too often. Bad weather is usually only apparent for a handful of days followed by a nice patch. Contrary to what people might believe, we have rescheduled shoots due to rain, fog and high winds in the past, it is not regular but can happen, so be considerate.

That all said, we are incredibly fortunate in Dubai when it comes to weather, with most of the year offering an ideal sunny landscape ready for productions to take full advantage. Pack an ND!

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I know what it is like to produce content overseas away from your cosy and reliable production community. You are stepping into the unknown and don’t know the local processes. Hopefully this article has shed some light and made you feel a little more at ease when considering Dubai as your next production location.

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