Film production in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates is covered here with 2 locations. Between the longest and shortest day, usable light swings by up to 3h 07min depending on where you shoot — planning across the country is not planning one single kind of day.
Locations at a glance
The table shows June and December daylight for each location — the two numbers a schedule hinges on across the year.
| Location | Daylight June | Daylight December | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 13h 42min | 10h 35min | 3h 07min |
| Abu Dhabi | 13h 38min | 10h 38min | 3h 00min |
What that means for planning
Dubai has the widest swing at 3h 07min, Abu Dhabi the narrowest at 3h 00min. The wider the spread, the more a schedule has to differ between summer and winter — same setup count, different hours to fit it in.
Concretely: in December, the sun in Dubai sets at 17:32, with golden hour starting as early as 16:58. Put the exterior at the end of the day and you shoot it in the dark, or not at all.
TillyGen folds each location's sun position straight into the schedule. An exterior that no longer fits before sunset in December is flagged in the plan, not discovered on the day. The same calculation sits behind every location page for this country.
Film incentives and rebates
Abu Dhabi returns up to 35 % of local spend through twofour54/CMA. Abu Dhabi combines desert, modern skyline and the twofour54 studios; its credit list runs from Bollywood tentpoles to Hollywood franchises (F1, Mission: Impossible).
What that means in practice depends on the qualifying share: on a €1m budget with 70 % qualifying spend, the 35 % rate returns roughly €245,000. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2025-01 · Source: film.gov.ae
Permits and local requirements
Filming permits are granted locally almost everywhere, not nationally: the city or district you shoot in is the responsible body, and processing times differ considerably within the same country. Public space, traffic areas and drone flights each run through separate procedures.
File early enough that a refusal still leaves room for a cover location — not so late that the permit becomes the condition for the only possible shoot day. Only the responsible local authority gives binding information.
Frequently asked
How many locations in United Arab Emirates are covered here?
2. Locations are included when there is an evidenced production landscape — not every town in the country.
Which location in United Arab Emirates has the longest shooting days?
In June, Dubai with 13h 42min of daylight. In December that drops to 10h 35min.
When is the best time to shoot in United Arab Emirates?
On daylight length alone, June. Whether that also means the steadiest weather depends on the location — the individual location pages carry rain days and sunshine hours per month.
Do I need a separate permit for every location?
As a rule yes, as soon as public ground is involved. Private locations run through the owner; traffic areas and drones add further procedures. The local authority is always the binding source.