Filming Permits in Dubai: Your Complete Fixer's Guide
Looking to film a project in Dubai? Our Founder Dennis Chehade shares tips from his years of experience working in this city.
Filming publicly in a city for the first time can be intimidating, especially for those unfamiliar with its rules and customs. Productions always have to consider where to film, how to find the locations they need, how to follow the rules to prevent complications or legal issues.
In Dubai, a place known for its strong regulations, this is a particularly daunting task. For international video productions in Dubai, enlisting a local fixer is a must, and in fact, hiring a local company to represent the production is essential.
As an experienced Dubai video production company, we are always eager to support international productions any way we can. To that end, our Founder, Dennis Chehade, has pulled from his many years of delivering projects in this great city to provide some of his top tips on ensuring your video production in Dubai is a success. In today's blog, he shares his advice on acquiring permits to shoot in Dubai.
HOW TO GET A FILMING PERMIT IN DUBAI
In Dubai specifically, location permits are entirely handled through the Dubai Film and Television Commission. In order for any individual or company to film in Dubai, they must make a permit application through a Dubai video production company, such as HyperJump Productions, that is recognized by the DFTC. Permits are required for all content formats, and for all media platforms.
Once you enlist a local video production company to support your permit application, you will be required to provide information to them to facillitate the request. First and foremost, you need to select the exact location you wish to film in in Dubai - this must be as specific as possible, down to the address and coordinates.
Multiple locations can be submitted within the same request, but will almost always carry separate charges per location. Public and private location permits are both handled through the DFTC website, with private location permits typically being significantly more expensive.
You will also need to note the exact dates and times you intend to shoot, and ensure these are set in stone, when you apply for the permit. Shooting in the locations outside of your permitted times is strictly forbidden, so it is paramount that these are locked into your schedule before applying for the permits. You can no doubt already see how strict Dubai filming regulations can be!
It's also important to have a clear list of key crew when making the permit application. Particularly important in this instance are the Production Manager, Location Manager and, of course, Director. Local Dubai video production companies create profiles for these key crew on the DFTC website, so that they can pursue permit applications.
What are the requirements for a filming permit in Dubai?
The first thing the DFTC will ask you is, what is the project you are filming? Is it a documentary? A corporate video? A scripted film? Or, are you capturing shot footage? The intention behind what your shooting - whether it's for personal, artistic, commercial, or journalistic reasons - must be clearly disclosed to the DFTC.
You'll also need a commissioning letter for the application. For instance, let's say that Netflix is hiring you to shoot a few scenes for a movie in Downtown Dubai. You'd need a commissioning letter in their letterhead that clearly states that [Client] is hiring [Company] to shoot [content, clearly explained]. The letter will need to clearly state the purpose of the content, what is to be shot, where, and when. It will also need to, of course, be signed and dated by the client.
On top of the commissioning letter, it's also essential to provide a storyboard and, where possible, a script, which clearly demonstrates the content you are intending to shoot. Certain content may be rejected based on cultural sensitivity guidelines, so keep this in mind when conceiving your ideas. And importantly, the content you film must be in line with the storyboard you have provided, to protect you from potential legal action in future.
Storyboards are required for permit applications, even in cases where the content isn't necessarily scripted. For instance, maybe the video you are producing is a vox pop interview with a company's CEO, with the background of Downtown Dubai. A storyboard is still required, but a simple handrawn or stock image showing a reference for the scene, with a caption explaining it's an interview or establishing shot, is usually sufficient. Of course, this needs to be repeated for each additional scene intended.
How much do filming permit fees in Dubai cost?
Government-Owned Locations
Permit fees can vary widely in Dubai, depending on the location, and who owns/manages the property. Invariably, there is a flat application fee of 520 AED to submit each permit application.
We'll start with government-owned filming locations, which are typically more straightforward. Generally, filming in government-owned locations in Dubai costs 2,500 AED per shoot (how long this permit lasts vary, with guidelines viewable on the DFTC website). This can vary depending on the location and nature of the shoot, but is relatively typical for government location video shoots.
However, if you try to apply for a shooting permit in specific districts that are owned by different private entities, higher rates will almost always apply. This includes iconic areas, popular for filming, including the Downtown Dubai neighborhood which includes the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Opera, and the Dubai Fountain, which is owned by Emaar.
Privately-Owned Locations
For privately-owned locations, filming permits can cost anything up to 25,000 AED per day - which is the typical rate for filming on Emaar properties. Downtown Dubai locations that are handled by Dubai Municipality typically cost 18,000 AED per day of filming.
The DFTC portal categorizes locations into governmental and non-governmental locations, so if, for instance, you enlisted HyperJump Productions to assist you with filming your project in Dubai, we would be able to advise on more affordable governmental locations to film in, such as the Gold Souq and the Al Qudra desert.
For many privately-owned locations, it will be necessary for you to contact the private entity that owns the location and negotiate a permit price with them, after which they will update the portal accordingly. It's also essential to acquire an NOC (No Objection Certificate), from the owner, for each privately-owned location you intend to film at.
It is always advised that, when applying to shoot at a privately-owned location, you first contact them to acquire permission from them directly, so that you can be sure they are happy for you to proceed with filming, and agree on a price with them before going through the DFTC application process. HyperJump Productions has engaged in numerous projects in which we've liased with companies to acquire these certificates, and are happy to assist with the process.
Dubai Municipality-Managed Locations
Along with DFTC approval, certain areas also need approval from Dubai Municipality, which operates a number of key areas. This includes public natural areas such as Dubai's beaches, lakes, and reserves, such as Love Lake. DFTC will alert the applicant of this upon issuing the permit. In order to gain this permission, the production company will need to get in touch with Dubai Municipality after receiving the permit, and acquire an additional clearance.
This typically involves answering specific questions about the timing, location, and intentions of the shoot, as well as the crew and equipment requirements, to ensure the shoot will not disturb wildlife, the natural landscape, and the public. Often Dubai Municipality will send a representative in person to oversee the shoot, underscoring the importance of managing the shoot safely, and respecting the location.
It's important to note that the above processes are specific to Dubai only; other Emirates have their own processes and some - particularly Abu Dhabi - require more layers of approval to gain filming permission.
Closing remarks
We hope that you found these tips on Dubai film & video production useful! Always remember, preparation is everything, so don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need support with the complex permit process. HyperJump Productions have supported many international productions with filming in Dubai in the past, and are just an call away if you require a local production partner.
Looking to shoot a film or video project in Dubai, and need fixer and/or locations support? Contact us now at info@hyperjumpproductions, or +971 58-599-8064!
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