How much does video production cost in Dubai? 2026 rates in AED, permits and VAT

How much does video production cost in Dubai?

There is no Dubai rate card. Each company publishes its own ranges, and they overlap more than they agree. The table puts four side by side, in dirhams and before VAT unless a page says otherwise.

Read the table for where the numbers cluster, not for a winner. AED 10,000–30,000 is the common middle for a one-to-three-minute film. Skimbox says that below roughly AED 10,000 you are buying a freelancer’s day, not a production. At the dirham’s fixed rate of 3.6725 to the dollar, AED 10,000–30,000 is about $2,700–$8,200.

Freelancer, small studio or full agency: how do prices differ?

SL Media argues that a freelancer suits one low-risk deliverable with flexible timing, while a company earns its fee with several deliverables, a fixed date, permits or talent. That is a seller’s view, but the logic holds. One rule is official: the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) lists a UAE-licensed production company as the party that obtains the permit, and tells international companies to hire a local production house. Ask any supplier for its trade licence.

What does a shoot day include, and what is billed separately?

A day rate covers people and kit for the booked hours. Skimbox, on its own figures, builds a crew and a budget from these lines:

• Director of photography AED 2,500–10,000 a day; camera operator 1,500–3,000; sound technician with kit 1,800–3,000; gaffer 1,500–2,000; producer 2,000–4,000; production assistant 800–1,100.
• Script plus storyboard AED 3,000–10,000; studio rental 1,500–10,000 a session; editing 1,000–5,000 per finished minute; colour grading 1,000–3,000 a video.
• Library music AED 500–2,000 (Tanit); overtime AED 500–1,500 an hour; a 48-hour rush adds 50–100% (Skimbox).

Post-production is larger than the camera day suggests. Skimbox and Tanit both put editing, grading and graphics at 30–40% of the budget, while Xntric splits a corporate film into 20–25% pre-production, 50–60% shooting and 20–25% post. They disagree because they scope “post” differently. Ask which lines sit in which phase, and which are extra: Skimbox lists drone, permits, location fees, talent, voice-over, music, extra formats and the Arabic version.

Which filming permits and fees apply in Dubai?

DFTC publishes its fees and rules; we read its official pages on 1 October 2026. Rules and fees can change, and this is not legal advice, so have the production company that applies for you confirm the current terms.

Plan for time as well as money: where script approval applies, it alone can take five weeks (the working week runs Monday to Friday). A shoot in a public place is scheduled in weeks, not days.

Can you film with a drone in Dubai in 2026?

Check first. On 27 March 2026 the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) issued Safety Decision 2026-03, issue 2, suspending drone authorisations and aerial photography approvals and prohibiting flights without a written exemption. SkyKnight, a UAE drone operator, reports that commercial flights resumed on 30 June 2026 under existing licences, with an extra review of two to three business days in controlled airspace. We could not open an official notice of that lifting, so treat it as a vendor report.

Price aerials as an optional line: SL Media and Tanit put a drone add-on at AED 1,000–3,000, SL Media adds a separate drone permit of up to AED 3,000, and Skimbox lists a drone operator at AED 6,000–8,000 a day. In a 60-second film, ask what the aerials add before paying for them.

How do VAT, Arabic versions and talent change the bill?

The UAE government portal states that VAT is 5 per cent, and that registration is mandatory for a UAE-based business above AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and imports a year. SL Media says its figures are typically plus VAT, and Skimbox adds VAT on top. A small supplier below the threshold may legitimately not charge it, so ask whether a quote is net or gross.

Arabic is a separate programme, says Skimbox: voice-over from about AED 550, subtitles priced per minute, translation extra. Xntric puts bilingual localisation at 10–25% of the budget. Decide before the edit is locked. People on camera cost AED 1,000–5,000 a day each at Tanit, and AED 1,000–15,000 at Skimbox, where the top end buys broadcast usage rights. English voice-over runs AED 500–3,000 (Tanit) to 8,000 (Skimbox). Your own staff carry no fee, but get their written consent.

What would a 60-second corporate or product film cost in Dubai?

This budget uses only ranges above: one shoot day, a two-person crew, an English film with Arabic subtitles, library music and no drone. The columns change who is on camera, where you film and how polished the post is; Skimbox advises a 10–15% contingency. It is arithmetic on published ranges, not a quote.

Cross-check: Xntric’s own two-minute example, with two shoot days, drone and bilingual voice-over, totals AED 45,000 before VAT (8,000 + 25,000 + 12,000). Its enterprise band is AED 25,000–60,000, and the full column sits at the top.

When does AI-assisted production lower the cost?

AI cuts the lines that are hours of skilled work, not the lines that are people and permissions. It helps with scripts and storyboards, rough cuts, vertical and square versions, subtitles and visuals you would otherwise shoot. It does not replace your real office, staff or product on camera. SL Media prices AI video at AED 3,000–8,000 for b-roll, 8,000–20,000 for an AI and real-footage hybrid and 20,000–45,000 for a full concept film.

At VITON¹³ a corporate video starts from $53, a product video from $53 and a social video from $53. Permits, location fees and talent stay separate lines, because they belong to real footage.

How do you compare quotes, and when should you skip the shoot?

1. Ask for the quote split into pre-production, crew days, post, permits, talent, music, Arabic and VAT.
2. Confirm who applies for the permit and who pays the fees.
3. Fix the number of revision rounds and the price of an extra one: Skimbox cites AED 500–1,500 at studios and AED 3,000–5,000 at agencies.
4. Get raw footage and final files in writing; Skimbox says many vendors keep raw footage by default.
5. Check that music and talent are cleared for paid use on your platforms.

• Skip the shoot when you already hold footage: an edit-led film costs far less than a new day.
• Skip it for small reflective products or many variations, where CGI or AI can win.
• Batch it when the film is only for social: Skimbox says one planned day can save 40–50% across 8–12 pieces.