Filming in Dubai: Permits, Costs & Fixers (2026 Guide)

Hoodlum's take on Filming in Dubai: Permits, Costs & Fixers (2026 Guide) and what we have to say.

Date:

October 26, 2026
10:58 am

Permits, script approval, drones, free zones, incentives, fixers and costs: everything a producer needs before booking flights.

Filming in Dubai is fast and predictable once you know the system. One commission issues every shooting permit in the emirate, a standard permit takes three to five working days, and the city gives you skyline, souks, sea and desert within an hour’s drive. What catches productions out is everything around the permit: a script that locks the moment it’s submitted, drones that need two aviation regulators, a summer work ban, and a cash rebate that, despite what you may have read, Dubai doesn’t currently offer.

This guide is written by the Hoodlum team for producers, line producers and production managers bringing a shoot to Dubai, whether that’s a TVC, a documentary, a branded film or a feature unit.

Dubai at a glance

Logistics	Description
Permit authority	Dubai Films and Games Commission (DFGC), still branded Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) on the permit portal
Who can apply	A UAE-licensed production company only. Foreign productions apply through a local fixer or service company
Permit application fee	About AED 520 (≈ US$142) per application, covering multiple days and locations
Standard permit time	3–5 working days; landmark, complex or drone shoots 10–25 working days
Script approval	Up to 25 working days; no changes after submission
Cash rebate	None confirmed in Dubai. Abu Dhabi offers 35%, up to 50%; Saudi Arabia up to 60%
Best season	October to April
Currency	UAE dirham (AED), pegged at 3.6725 to the US dollar

Who regulates filming in Dubai

The names have changed twice in two years, which is why so many guides online are out of date. Here’s who does what in 2026.

Dubai Films and Games Commission (DFGC). The single point of contact for shooting permits anywhere in Dubai. It took over the former Dubai Film and TV Commission’s role under the Dubai Media Council, and liaises with Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, the RTA and immigration on your behalf. The online portal still carries the old DFTC name.
National Media Authority (NMA). The federal content regulator, in force since January 2026, replacing the UAE Media Council. It sets the content standards your script is judged against and handles media licensing and journalist accreditation.
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and the federal GCAA. Both approve drone flights. One does not substitute for the other.
Location owners. Private and semi-government sites (malls, hotels, Downtown, free zones) approve and charge separately. Emaar controls the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Fountain area and issues its own no-objection certificate.

How to get a filming permit in Dubai

Every professional shoot in a public or semi-public place needs a permit, including stills shoots with a crew and kit. Weddings, personal footage and educational filming for schools are exempt.

Appoint a local production partner. The commission will not issue a permit to a foreign company. Your fixer or service company applies as the licensed sponsor and carries the permit.
Submit the script for approval. A full script is needed even if only part of the production shoots in Dubai. Allow up to 25 working days, and treat the submitted version as locked: dialogue changes after submission mean resubmitting.
File the permit application. Through the commission’s online portal, with dates, locations, crew list and schedule. One application can cover several days and locations.
Secure location approvals. Private and semi-government owners approve in parallel. Downtown needs the Emaar NOC on top of the commission’s permit. Shooting inside Dubai Media City needs TECOM’s permission as well.
Add aviation clearance if you fly. Drone and aerial work runs on its own longer track (see below).
Sort crew paperwork and kit. Foreign crew working on the shoot need the right entry and work permit, arranged through your local sponsor. Kit comes in on an ATA Carnet or against a customs deposit.
Shoot inside the permit. Keep a copy on set. Filming outside the permitted activity or location is fined (reported at AED 15,000–25,000).

Dubai filming permit fees

Fees below follow the commission’s published schedule as reported in 2026. Confirm current figures with your fixer before you budget, as sources differ by a few dirhams.

Item	Fee	Notes
Permit application	AED 520 (≈ US$142)	Non-refundable; one application covers multiple days and locations
Public or government locations (beaches, desert, souks, parks)	AED 2,520 flat (≈ US$686)	Permit length varies by format: up to 3 days for ads, 7 for corporate, 14 for stills, 30 for long-form
Private and semi-government locations	AED 0–25,000 per day (up to ≈ US$6,800)	Set by the location owner; Downtown and Burj Khalifa sit at the top of the range
Aerial location fee	AED 0 for up to 7 days	Aviation permits are separate and extra
Filming without a permit	AED 25,000 fine (reported)	Plus AED 15,000 for filming outside the permitted location

Script approval and content rules

Script approval is the most underestimated scheduling risk in Dubai. Build your script-lock date around the 25-working-day window, not around the director’s prep, and put that date in the client contract.

The content standards ask productions to respect Islam and other religions, UAE sovereignty and national symbols, and public morals. In practice that means:

No nudity, and no filming of government buildings, palaces or military sites without specific permission.
Alcohol on screen needs prior approval.
Filming Emirati women needs their explicit consent; get signed releases for everyone in frame.
Police uniforms, patrol cars and police support are available, but are requested through Dubai Police, not improvised.

The permit to film (the commission) and the permission to publish or broadcast (the NMA) are separate approvals. Passing one says nothing about the other.

Drone filming in Dubai

Drone shots of the skyline and dunes are half the reason productions come here, and they take the longest to clear. Plan on 10 to 25 working days.

Commercial drone work needs approval from both the federal GCAA and the emirate-level DCAA.
Operators need a UAS Operator Certificate, so in practice you hire a licensed local drone team rather than fly your own.
Restricted airspace near airports, palaces and government sites adds Ministry of Defence clearance.
Local drone operators charge roughly AED 6,000–8,000 a day (≈ US$1,630–2,180) with pilot and kit.

Dubai’s media free zones

Dubai’s media free zones are where the studios, kit houses and production companies sit. They don’t change the permit rules: a free-zone address does not exempt a shoot from the commission’s permit.

Zone	What it’s for
Dubai Studio City	Physical production: sound stages from 11,000 to 50,000 sq ft, a backlot and a water tank. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Star Trek Beyond used its facilities
Dubai Media City	Broadcasters, agencies and production offices; no sound stages of its own. Filming here needs TECOM permission plus the city permit
Dubai Production City	Post-production, dubbing, printing and music, at lower cost

One common mix-up: twofour54 is in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai. It’s a different emirate with its own film commission and, importantly, its own rebate.

Film incentives: what Dubai does and doesn’t offer

You’ll find several websites claiming Dubai raised a production rebate to 40% from June 2026. We can’t find that in any government source or in the major trade press, and independent fact-checks trace it back to a single agency blog. Don’t budget on it.

What Dubai does offer is lower costs at the edges: reduced permit and processing fees, free public locations beyond the flat location fee, and negotiated discounts with hotels and suppliers through the commission. The commission has also said publicly that it is exploring further incentives to win larger international productions, so this may change.

The real money in the region is next door:

Market	Incentive	Status
Abu Dhabi	35% cash rebate on qualifying spend, rising to 50% through a points-based uplift	Live since 1 January 2025; claimed through a company licensed in Abu Dhabi
Saudi Arabia	Cash rebate of up to 60% of eligible local spend	Announced at Cannes in May 2026
Dubai	No cash rebate confirmed	Fee reductions and supplier discounts only

If the rebate matters to your budget, the usual answer is a split shoot: Dubai for the skyline and city scenes, Abu Dhabi (90 minutes down the road) for the desert, studio and rebate-qualifying days. Your fixer can structure this. [link: Abu Dhabi filming page] [link: Saudi Arabia filming page]

Why you need a fixer in Dubai

In many countries a fixer is optional. In Dubai it’s structural: a foreign production can’t hold its own permit, so a UAE-licensed company has to sponsor the shoot. A good Dubai fixer will:

Apply for the permit and manage script approval, location NOCs and drone clearance in one timeline.
Arrange crew entry and work permits through the right channel.
Handle kit import, local kit hire and crew bookings.
Know which locations approve quickly and which (Downtown, government sites, the Palm) need weeks.
Stay on set to keep the shoot inside the permit and handle police or location owners on the day.

When you brief a fixer, ask how many permits they filed in the last year, whether they hold the trade licence and media licence themselves, and who on their team will be on set.

[CTA] Hoodlum’s UAE fixers handle permits, crews and locations across Dubai and the other emirates. [link: Hoodlum UAE page]

What it costs to film in Dubai

Dubai isn’t cheap, but crew rates are competitive for a market with this much kit and infrastructure, and the rental market is deep, so there’s rarely a reason to fly in more than your HODs. Indicative day rates from published local pricing:

Role	Day rate (AED)	≈ US$
Director of photography	2,500–10,000	680–2,720
Drone operator (with kit)	6,000–8,000	1,630–2,180
Producer	2,000–4,000	545–1,090
Sound recordist (with kit)	1,800–3,000	490–820
Camera operator	1,500–3,000	410–820
Gaffer	1,500–2,000	410–545
Full crew package	6,000–50,000	1,630–13,600

On top of crew, budget for the permit and location fees above, any Emaar NOC, drone clearance, kit hire, 5% VAT on local services, and hotel costs that peak in the cooler months.

When to film in Dubai

October to April is the season: daytime highs in the 20s °C, clear skies and long golden hours over the desert.
15 June to 15 September, the UAE’s midday work ban stops outdoor work in direct sun from 12:30 to 15:00, with fines up to AED 50,000. It applies to film crews. Summer exteriors shoot at dawn and dusk, or move indoors.
Ramadan (expected roughly 8 February to 9 March 2027) slows approvals and changes working hours. Eating, drinking and some music on public locations during daylight is off limits, and many locations restrict access. Shooting is possible, but schedule for it.
Weekends: government offices work Monday to Friday, with a short Friday, so permit processing pauses at weekends.

Bringing kit into Dubai

The UAE has accepted ATA Carnets since 2011, so professional camera and film equipment can come in duty-free for up to a year. Carnets are cleared at Dubai International Airport, Dubai Cargo Village, Jebel Ali and Dubai Airport Free Zone. Without a carnet, customs takes a refundable deposit against the kit’s value. That said, ARRI, RED and Sony packages, grip and lighting are all available locally, which usually beats shipping.

Top filming locations in Dubai

Downtown and the Burj Khalifa: the iconic skyline. Needs the Emaar NOC and the highest location fees.
Old Dubai: Al Fahidi (Bastakiya), the Creek, abras and the souks. The most-filmed area in the city; Ghost Protocol shot its first week here.
Dubai Marina, JBR and the Palm: waterfront towers, beaches and yachts.
DIFC and Sheikh Zayed Road: corporate and futuristic streetscapes.
Desert (Margham, Al Qudra): dunes within 45 minutes of the city.
Hatta: mountains, dams and wadis on the Oman border, for looks most people don’t expect from Dubai.

Dubai Municipality alone manages filming at around 200 locations, 11 public beaches and eight nature reserves, all permitted through the same commission.

Filming in Dubai: FAQ

Do I need a permit to film in Dubai? Yes, for any professional shoot in a public or semi-public location. Weddings, personal footage and educational filming are exempt.

How long does a Dubai filming permit take? Three to five working days for a standard shoot; 10 to 25 working days for landmarks, complex shoots or drones. Script approval can add up to 25 working days.

How much is a filming permit in Dubai? About AED 520 per application, plus AED 2,520 for public locations or up to AED 25,000 a day for private ones.

Can a foreign production company apply for its own permit? No. The application has to come from a UAE-licensed production company, which is why foreign shoots work through a local fixer.

Does Dubai have a film rebate? Not one that’s confirmed. Abu Dhabi offers 35% (up to 50%) and Saudi Arabia up to 60%.

Can I fly a drone in Dubai? Yes, with approval from both the DCAA and the GCAA, and usually through a licensed local operator.

What’s the best time of year to film in Dubai? October to April. Summer is possible, but the midday work ban applies from mid-June to mid-September.

Plan your Dubai shoot with Hoodlum

We run productions across the UAE and the wider region, from single-day TVCs in Downtown to multi-country documentaries. Tell us your dates, locations and format and we’ll come back with a permit timeline and a realistic budget. Dubai · Contact Us