Filming Permits & Licenses United Arab Emirates

We secure filming permits across the UAE. The work happens where authorisation is handled emirate by emirate rather than from a single national office. For Abu Dhabi shoots we work through the Abu Dhabi Film Commission. This operates via twofour54 under the Creative Media Authority. For Dubai we set up with the Dubai Film and TV Commission. And for projects in the north we engage the Ras Al Khaimah Film Commission.

Here is how this works in practice. Our team prepares applications, schedules, location lists and insurance records, and aligns each permit window with the call sheet so access hours at controlled landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are respected. Drone operations need separate clearance: aerial permits run through the General Civil Aviation Authority at federal level and through emirate bodies such as the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

We build that lead time into the schedule. We also flag content for review under UAE media guidelines so nothing stalls a permit late.

Here is the short of it. The UAE's permitting system has supported some of cinema's largest shoots. 'Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol' obtained authorisation for its Burj Khalifa sequence, 'Furious 7' permitted the Etihad Towers stunt in Abu Dhabi, and '6 Underground', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and both 'Dune' films cleared wide permits for the Liwa Desert and Empty Quarter, often involving off-limits airspace, road running and remote-area access.

Here is the breakdown. We draw on that track record to expect which approvals each location needs, from heritage clearance in Al Ain, home to the UAE's only UNESCO World Heritage site, to coastal and marine permits on Saadiyat Island. We set up customs clearance for gear arriving on ATA Carnets and keep the production legally covered at each location, so the unit can shoot without interruption.