Cost Estimation Services

Here is the breakdown. We produce detailed cost guesses that give producers an accurate picture of what a UAE shoot will actually spend. Our team prices crew, gear, locations, transport, lodging and permits using today's local rates, drawing on relationships with vendors across Dubai Studio City, Dubai Media City and twofour54. Guesses are built in dirhams. We highlight that the AED's peg to the US dollar at roughly 3.67 makes the UAE unusually predictable for dollar-denominated budgets. This has no exchange-rate surprises across a long schedule.

Here is how this works in practice. We factor in the country's low 5% VAT and the absence of personal income tax, both of which keep below-the-line costs lean. Seasonal variables matter too: we model the prime October-to-April production window against the higher logistical cost of summer shooting, when extreme heat drives up welfare, cooling and crew-rotation costs. Permit and facilitation fees from the relevant emirate film commission are itemised so nothing is missed.

Here is what that looks like on the ground. Accurate cost estimation also lets producers test a project against the UAE's rebates landscape. The Abu Dhabi production-rebates cash rebates of up to 35% on qualifying Abu Dhabi spend can materially reshape a budget. We model qualifying and non-qualifying lines so clients see the true net cost before committing.

Here is the short of it. Large shoots such as 'Furious 7', '6 Underground' and both 'Dune' films ran big Abu Dhabi spend precisely because the numbers worked once the rebates was applied. We benchmark guesses against comparable shoots, flag where desert logistics in the Liwa region or Empty Quarter add cost, and give clear backup guidance.

The result is a guess producers and financiers can trust, whether the project is a commercial in Dubai Marina or a feature spanning Saadiyat Island and the Hajar Mountains.