Film production in Dubai
Between June and December, usable daylight in Dubai moves by 3h 07min — from 13h 42min down to 10h 35min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Dubai rises at 05:29 and sets at 19:11; the evening golden hour starts at 18:38 and runs for 33 minutes. By December that shifts to 06:57–17:32, with a 34-minute golden-hour window from 16:58.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 30 and 34 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:07 | 17:51 | 10h 44min | 17:17 |
| February | 06:55 | 18:13 | 11h 19min | 17:42 |
| March | 06:29 | 18:28 | 11h 59min | 17:58 |
| April | 05:58 | 18:42 | 12h 44min | 18:11 |
| May | 05:35 | 18:57 | 13h 22min | 18:25 |
| June | 05:29 | 19:11 | 13h 42min | 18:38 |
| July | 05:38 | 19:12 | 13h 34min | 18:40 |
| August | 05:53 | 18:55 | 13h 02min | 18:24 |
| September | 06:06 | 18:25 | 12h 19min | 17:55 |
| October | 06:18 | 17:53 | 11h 36min | 17:22 |
| November | 06:36 | 17:32 | 10h 56min | 17:00 |
| December | 06:57 | 17:32 | 10h 35min | 16:58 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Dubai starts at 19:27 in June and ends at 19:37 — a window of 10 minutes. In December it is 10 minutes from 17:48. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:28) and September (18:25) there are 3 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Dubai averages 3 rain days in March and 0 in May. A three-day exterior shoot in March statistically loses 0.3 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19.6 °C | 2 | 9.9 |
| February | 20.6 °C | 2 | 10.1 |
| March | 23.3 °C | 3 | 10.3 |
| April | 26.9 °C | 1 | 11.1 |
| May | 30.8 °C | 0 | 12.2 |
| June | 33.7 °C | 0 | 12.4 |
| July | 35.4 °C | 0 | 11.6 |
| August | 35.3 °C | 0 | 11.4 |
| September | 33.0 °C | 0 | 11.3 |
| October | 29.9 °C | 1 | 10.7 |
| November | 25.9 °C | 1 | 9.9 |
| December | 21.9 °C | 1 | 9.7 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Dubai?
In June it starts at 18:38 and lasts 33 minutes; in December it starts at 16:58 and lasts 34 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Dubai get?
Between 10h 35min in December and 13h 42min in June. The 3h 07min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Dubai?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.