Shooting in Dubai: the five questions every international production asks us first
By author name · Emirates Media, Dubai
Permits, hours, heat, crew language, and who actually signs the location agreement. Answer those five and a production can schedule a Dubai shoot with confidence; get one wrong and the schedule moves. This article is the studio's own account of how it handles each one.
Permits are a calendar problem, not a paperwork problem
Filings take time, and the time depends on the location class, the size of the unit, and whether the schedule touches a public road, a heritage site or a free zone. Treating the filing as the first item on the schedule rather than a formality is what keeps a shoot on its dates.
“The brief we get asked most often is not for a location — it is for a straight answer about how long the location takes to unlock.”
Heat changes the call sheet, not the script
Day-for-night, split days and shaded setups are normal practice rather than a compromise. Our line production page carries the full process; this article is the version we send to producers before the first call.
