Written by new-contact on May 29, 2012. Posted in On Location

Dubai plans new film commission and location filming incentives

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is setting up a film commission and is planning a formal location filming incentive. The move comes only days after Abu Dhabi launched a 30% rebate. Dubai will be looking to attract more productions like Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Nayla Al Khaja is an independent Emirati filmmaker and Chief Executive Officer of D7 Motion Pictures, and spoke to Khaleej Times: “The rate of film production here in the UAE is very low at the moment and there is no consolidated information about films being made here as well.

The commission will attract several international producers and it will basically create attractive incentives as well.

Nayla Al Khaja, D7 Motion Pictures

“The commission will attract several international producers and it will basically create attractive incentives as well.”

Dubai is often scouted for big-budget productions, but the lack of formal incentives has counted against the city in recent years. In 2011 the city hosted nearly 900 separate filming projects, but fewer than 120 originated from European production companies.

Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City, is Chairman of the new commission and will oversee the creation of an incentive programme.