How to Set Up a Media & Production Company in Dubai: Licence, Film Permits, Cost & Tax Guide (2026)

If a guide tells you the "National Media Council" will approve your media licence, close it. That body was dissolved in 2021. Its successor, the UAE Media Council, was itself replaced on 18 December 2025 by the National Media Authority, in force from January 2026 [1]. The regulator's own former domain, uaemc.gov.ae, now redirects to nma.gov.ae. Almost every page ranking for this topic is two renames out of date, which tells you how carefully the rest of their advice has been checked.

That matters because this sector is defined by its regulators, and there are three of them, not one. It also matters because two of the most repeated claims about setting up a media company in Dubai are wrong: the free-zone 0% corporate tax rate does not apply to a production company, and the widely-quoted Dubai production rebate does not appear to exist. This guide covers what actually applies, including the film permit chain, the content rules that get work rejected, honest day rates and margins, and a VAT question that genuinely has no published answer, which we will tell you honestly rather than guess at. Since 2013, our team has set up media and production companies in Dubai, so the traps here come from real files.

The three government bodies you actually deal with

No competing page draws this map. Get it wrong and you will apply to the wrong authority for the wrong thing.

Common Mistake: Assuming a trade licence is the whole job. It is not. The NMA's own Commercial Media Licence service lists an "existing trade license" among the documents you must submit [1], which tells you plainly that the trade licence is a prerequisite, not the finish line. Not sure which layers your model triggers? Ask us→

The name has changed twice, and there is a trap in the middle

The federal media regulator's history, because the naming is genuinely confusing and it is how you spot a stale guide [1]:

So a page saying "National Media Council" is naming a body that has not existed for five years, and has missed two renames since. That is not pedantry: it is the difference between a guide that was researched and one that was copied.

Now the trap. The Dubai Media Council is a different body and it is very much alive. It is Dubai's own emirate-level media authority, and it is not the same thing as the defunct federal "UAE Media Council" despite the similar name [1]. In December 2024, the Dubai Film and TV Commission was moved out from under the Dubai Development Authority into the Dubai Media Council and restructured into the Dubai Films and Games Commission [1].

Real Talk: Both regulators lag their own renames. The NMA's services still route users to the old uaemc.gov.ae e-services domain, and the filming portal still brands itself "Dubai Film and TV Commission" even though its legal parent changed over a year ago. So you will see old names on official sites too. The structure above is what is actually true; expect the signage to catch up later. Because the NMA only came into force in January 2026, the practical application mechanics are still stabilising, and we could not establish whether existing UAE Media Council licences migrate automatically. Confirm current process directly with the NMA rather than trusting any guide, including this one.

Which activity do you need?

We could not confirm a distinct DET code for studio rental as a standalone activity, and DET's portal blocks automated checks, so confirm your exact code on the Invest in Dubai portal before filing [2].

Free zone or mainland, and the ownership myth

Two ranking pages tell you mainland media needs an Emirati partner. That has been false since June 2021 [3].

100% foreign ownership is the default on the mainland. Only a short list of strategic-impact sectors keeps ownership restrictions (security and defence, banks and finance, insurance, currency printing, telecommunications, Hajj and Umrah services, Quran centres). Media production is not among them [3].

Under Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 (effective 3 March 2025), a free-zone company can operate on the mainland via a branch licence (around AED 10,000 a year), a dual licence operating on the mainland from a free-zone registered office, or a temporary permit (around AED 5,000) [4]. DET was due to publish which activities qualify for which route, and we could not find that list, so whether 5911 and 5912 are covered is worth confirming rather than assuming. Compare routes on our mainland company setup and free zone company setup pages.

Media City, Studio City or Production City?

They are not interchangeable, and the difference is physical.

The TECOM media cluster across all three reports more than 4,000 customers and 40,000 creative professionals [5]. Marquee shoots at Studio City include Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Star Trek Beyond [5].

Pro Tip: twofour54 is in Abu Dhabi, not Dubai. Different emirate, different regulator, different incentives, and as the rebate section explains, a very different financial proposition. Any list that puts twofour54 alongside DMC and DSC as "Dubai media free zones" is wrong, and it matters more than it sounds.

The filming permit chain, which is simpler than you expect

Here is a pleasant surprise, and the opposite of how events work in Dubai.

DFTC is the sole authority and single point of contact for shooting permits anywhere in Dubai, under Dubai Government Executive Council Decision No. 16 of 2012, and it liaises with GDRFA, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and the RTA on your behalf [6]. You do not petition each authority separately. If you have read our event management guide, note the contrast: events make you chase six authorities; filming gives you one front door.

But there is a catch that surprises free-zone tenants: filming in Dubai Media City requires permission from TECOM and a DFTC permit [6]. Free-zone tenancy does not exempt you from the citywide permit; it adds a facility approval on top.

Fees (per DFTC's published schedule under Executive Decision No. 50/2014, as reported) [6]:

Our sources disagree slightly on two of these (AED 500 versus 520 for the application, AED 2,500 versus 2,520 for the location fee), and the official portal is a JavaScript-rendered site we could not read, so verify the live schedule before you quote a client.

Timelines: standard ground permits 3 to 5 working days; landmark, complex or drone shoots 10 to 25 business days [6].

Downtown and Emaar-managed areas (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, the Fountain) need a separate Emaar NOC on top of the DFTC permit, and fees scale toward the top of that AED 25,000 per day band depending on how much Burj Khalifa is in shot [6].

Quick Math: Reported penalties are AED 25,000 for unpermitted filming and AED 15,000 for filming outside your permitted location [6]. Those come from a secondary aggregator rather than the official portal, so treat the figures as indicative, but the principle is not in doubt: shooting without a permit costs more than the permit.

Script approval is a scheduling constraint, not a formality

This is the detail that wrecks production plans, and almost nobody frames it as the risk it is.

Script approval can take up to 25 business days, a full script is required even for a partial-Dubai shoot, and no changes are allowed after submission [6].

Common Mistake: Treating script lock as a creative decision. In Dubai it is a legal one. You cannot rewrite dialogue on set and shoot it the same day if the script has gone in for approval, so build your lock date around the 25-day window, not around your director's preferences. This is the single most underrated scheduling risk in Dubai production.

Drones need two regulators, and one does not substitute for the other

If you fly, you deal with both the federal GCAA and the emirate-level DCAA. As the sector puts it plainly: the DCAA does not accept GCAA registration as a substitute; both are mandatory for Dubai operations [7].

• Registration runs through the UAE Drone App or GCAA eServices.
• Commercial filming, including monetised YouTube work, triggers commercial registration.
• Commercial operations need a UAS Operator Certificate, requiring an operations manual, SOPs, maintenance and emergency protocols, and a risk assessment. Reported at roughly AED 3,000 to apply and AED 2,000 a year to renew, with 30 to 60 days processing, though that comes from a third-party source rather than GCAA or DCAA directly, so confirm it [7].
• DCAA runs a dedicated aerial filming permit service, which is the correct official touchpoint.
• Restricted airspace adds Ministry of Defence clearance [7].

This is why aerial shoots run to 14 days or more on the permit timeline. See our drone business guide for the wider regime.

Foreign productions cannot file their own permits

A structural fact with a business model hiding inside it: DFGC will not issue a filming permit directly to an international company. A foreign production must go through a UAE-licensed production company as sponsor and applicant [6].

Pro Tip: Read that as an opportunity, not a restriction. Every foreign shoot in Dubai needs a local licensed entity to front the permit and supply crew and logistics. That is the service production business, and as the competition section explains, it is plausibly the best niche available to a small Dubai shop.

Content rules: what actually gets rejected

Competing guides say "be mindful of cultural sensitivities." That is useless. Here is the substance.

The content standards, now administered by the NMA (the standards themselves are not reported to have changed, only the regulator) [8]:

• Respect for Islamic beliefs and other religions
• Respect for UAE sovereignty, symbols and institutions
• No content harming national unity or social cohesion
• No incitement to sectarian strife, violence, hatred or terrorism
• No incitement to crime, murder, rape or drug use
• No content violating public morals or promoting extremist ideology

Practical prohibitions consistently reported [8]: no nudity or pornography; no filming government buildings, palaces or military-sensitive sites without a specific permit; alcohol depiction needs prior permission; and filming Emirati women requires explicit consent.

Penalties run to AED 1 million, doubling to AED 2 million for repeat offences, with temporary closure of up to six months, permanent closure, or licence cancellation available [8].

One useful nuance: since a 2021 reform, the UAE classifies content by age rating (G, PG, PG13, PG15, 15+, 18+, 21+) rather than cutting it, and unedited international cuts are permitted at 21+ [8]. That is a more liberal regime than the sector's reputation suggests, though we could not confirm the classification function has formally transferred to the NMA.

Pro Tip: Distinguish the permit to film (DFGC, about locations and logistics) from the permit to publish or broadcast (NMA, about content). They are different approvals from different bodies, and passing one says nothing about the other.

The Dubai rebate that probably does not exist

This is the most important fact-check in this guide, and we would rather lose the exciting paragraph than mislead you.

Several sites state that Dubai raised its production rebate from 30% to 40%, effective 1 June 2026, covering VFX, virtual production and local hires. We traced that claim to a single point of origin, a Dubai production agency's own content marketing, echoed near-verbatim across low-authority sites and AI-generated summaries, which manufactures a false impression of corroboration [9].

It appears in no tier-one source. Not Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily, Broadcast Pro ME, The National, Gulf News or Khaleej Times, all of which covered Abu Dhabi's and Saudi Arabia's rebate changes extensively in the same period. And a global law firm's survey of film incentives scopes its UAE section to Abu Dhabi only; it does not list Dubai as having a rebate scheme at all [9].

What is actually confirmed is more modest: DFTC is a permit-and-locations authority, not a rebate authority. It has reduced permit and processing fees (cutting semi-government location processing from roughly USD 217 to USD 136) and negotiates discounts with service providers [9]. That is a real incentive. It is not a cash rebate.

Here is what the neighbours actually pay [9]:

Real Talk: Dubai is the odd one out in the Gulf on cash incentives, and you should plan on that basis. If your model depends on a rebate, Abu Dhabi and Saudi are where the money is. Dubai competes on infrastructure, crew depth, locations and lifestyle instead. That is a real headwind for attracting big-budget inbound productions, and largely irrelevant to the corporate-video and commercial work most Dubai shops actually live on. If someone quotes you a 40% Dubai rebate, ask them for the source.

Corporate tax: the free-zone 0% does not apply to media

Every free zone markets 0%. For a production company it is not available, and this one is not close.

The baseline is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000, 0% below [10]. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 sets a closed list of Qualifying Activities for a Qualifying Free Zone Person: manufacturing, processing, trading of qualifying commodities, holding shares and securities, ship operation, reinsurance, fund management, wealth and investment management, headquarter services to related parties, treasury and financing to related parties, aircraft financing and leasing, distribution from a Designated Zone, logistics services, and activities ancillary to those [11].

Media production, film production, content creation, broadcasting and advertising are not on that list, and they do not fit any category. Producing a video is a service, not "manufacturing of goods or materials" [11].

And the de minimis rule cannot rescue you. It tolerates non-qualifying revenue up to the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5 million. That is designed for a small non-qualifying slice. For a production company, essentially 100% of revenue is non-qualifying, not 5% [11]. Being in Dubai Media City or Studio City does not change this: the free zone determines whether you can be assessed as a Free Zone Person; the activity test is the actual gate, and production fails it.

Common Mistake: Choosing Media City for a 0% rate that does not exist for your business. Choose it for the studio infrastructure, the cluster, or the office product. Not for tax. Our UAE corporate tax filing guide has the wider regime.

Now the silver lining nobody publishes. Small Business Relief excludes Qualifying Free Zone Persons specifically, not all free-zone entities [10][11]. So a Media City production company that fails the QFZP activity test is not thereby locked out of Small Business Relief. If your revenue is under AED 3 million, you can elect to be treated as having no taxable income, and 2026 is the final year that relief is available. Failing the QFZP test is, in that narrow sense, what keeps the door open.

The VAT question nobody can answer

We are going to be honest with you here, because the alternative is to guess with your money.

Two rules compete. Article 29 of the VAT Decree-Law is the general rule: place of supply is the supplier's residence, and such services can be zero-rated as an export to a foreign client. Article 30(6) is a special rule, and its exact text is [12]:

"In case of the supply of any cultural, artistic, sporting or educational Services or any similar Services; the place of supply shall be the place where such services are performed."

Since 15 November 2024 (Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2024), the export zero-rating in Article 31 of the Executive Regulations expressly excludes anything caught by Article 30 clauses 3 to 8, which includes clause 6 [12]. So the law is perfectly clear once you know which bucket you are in. The entire question is which bucket a film shoot falls into, and that is where the trail runs out.

We could not find an answer, and the absence is itself informative. No FTA guide, Public Clarification or ruling defines "cultural, artistic, sporting, educational or any similar services." No Big 4 or law firm alert (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, BDO, Andersen, DLA Piper were all checked) discusses production companies as a fact pattern under these rules [12]. This is a genuine, unlitigated grey area, not something we simply missed.

The two readings:

• Narrow reading (favours zero-rating). The EU taxes only "admission to" cultural and artistic events at the event location; general production services supplied to a business that owns the output fall under the general rule. On that logic, supplying crew, kit and direction to make a commercial the client owns is a B2B service, not admission to an event [12].
• Broad reading (favours 5%). The UAE text contains no "admission to" qualifier. It says "any cultural, artistic... or any similar services," full stop. On a plain reading that is wider than the EU rule and could capture the production service itself. Nothing in the Decree-Law, the Regulations or VATP040 imports the EU narrowing [12].

Pro Tip: Get a Private Clarification from the FTA for your fact pattern. The FTA publishes a guide for exactly this process, and it is the only route to a binding answer [12]. Everything else, including this guide, is interpretation.

The trap that answers the question anyway

Here is the practical resolution, and it is why we would not price a foreign shoot at 0% today.

Zero-rating has a second, independent condition: the recipient must be outside the UAE when the service is performed. Under VATP019 as refined by VATP040, a short presence (now under 30 days across a rolling 12 months) only survives if it is also "not effectively connected with the supply". Both conditions must hold [12].

The FTA's own examples: a foreign client's staff member on a holiday with no contact with you, fine. Attending an unrelated conference, fine [12].

Now apply that. Your foreign client's producer flies to Dubai to attend the shoot. That is not a holiday and not an unrelated conference. Attending the shoot is the service being received. On the FTA's own test that presence is very likely "effectively connected with the supply," which defeats zero-rating independently of how the Article 30(6) question resolves [12].

Common Mistake: Trying to engineer around this by splitting one job into a "production fee" at 5% and a separate "footage licence" at 0%. VATP040 deals with composite and deemed-supply rules, and the FTA looks through artificially fragmented invoicing of what is economically one supply [12]. Do not do it.

What is lower risk [12]: engagements where nothing is performed in the UAE in front of the client. Pure post-production or editing for a foreign client who never travels. A standalone licence of already-shot footage delivered electronically. There is no performance to attend and no UAE event to anchor Article 30(6). Lower risk, not zero risk. Our VAT registration and compliance guide covers the mechanics.

Withholding tax and the licence fees you pay out

UAE withholding tax is currently 0% on cross-border payments to non-residents, including royalties and service fees, under the Corporate Tax Law [13]. There is no filing obligation because the rate is nil. Treat it as a policy setting: the framework exists to introduce a positive rate without new primary legislation.

The one to actually watch runs the other way. If you pay a foreign IP owner for licensed music, stock footage or format rights, you must self-account for 5% VAT under the reverse charge, reclaimable as input tax in the same return if you are fully taxable [13]. Every production that licenses a track touches this.

What does it cost to set up?

Indicative. Neither TECOM nor DET publishes a fixed public rate card for these activities, and the NMA does not publish a fee for the media licence at all, stating only that it "depends on the service" [1][14].

Per production, add the DFTC application and location fees above, any Emaar NOC, and drone certification if you fly.

Quick Math: A DMC registration is quoted at about seven working days, and realistic time to a licensed, shoot-ready company is 3 to 6 weeks [14]. But that is the company. The first production runs its own permit track on top, and if your script needs approval you are adding up to 25 business days that no licence timeline includes. Get a free setup quote→

What can you charge?

Cross-referenced across roughly six independent Dubai production companies' published pricing, so directionally reliable even though each has a marketing incentive [15]:

On margins we will be straight: no Dubai-specific audited benchmark exists. Generic creative-agency economics put gross margin at 30% to 50% and net at 8% to 20%, with 15% a common average [15]. A new small Dubai house should expect thin net margins of 5% to 15% in years one and two while absorbing freelance and rental costs. That is a reasoned estimate, not a researched Dubai fact, and we are labelling it as such.

Own the kit or rent it?

Rent, almost certainly, and Dubai makes that easy.

The industry rule of thumb is to buy if you will use the gear 20 to 25 days a year or more, and rent otherwise. Cameras lose 50% to 60% of value in two to three years on tech cycles; lenses and grip hold value far better [15]. Dubai has a deep rental market, which means capex is not a barrier to entry here the way it is in many markets. That is a genuine structural advantage for a new shop.

Pro Tip: Do not import the American rent-versus-buy logic you will read online. It leans on instant tax write-offs that do not exist in the UAE. Here you face 9% corporate tax with ordinary depreciation rules, so the tax case for buying is much weaker than US guides imply.

Cash flow, deposits, and the three months you cannot shoot outdoors

The cash-flow gap is the classic killer. Corporate and agency clients pay on 30, 60 or 90 day terms and often slip, while freelance crew expect prompt, frequently same-week, payment [15]. You can hit every revenue target and still run out of money. The standard mitigation is 30% to 50% upfront with the balance on delivery, which is industry practice rather than a verified statistic. Real operator discussion notes that big-budget Dubai production work can take months to pay, which pushes small studios toward smaller, faster-paying jobs for cash flow [15].

And then there is the summer. This one is verified and almost nobody mentions it: the UAE's midday outdoor work ban runs 15 June to 15 September, prohibiting outdoor work in direct sun from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, with fines up to AED 50,000 [16]. It applies to private-sector outdoor work generally, which on its plain terms covers an outdoor shoot.

Real Talk: That is not "Dubai is hot in summer." It is a legally enforced three-month constraint on your shooting day. Outdoor productions in that window shoot early morning and evening, move indoors, or take the productivity hit. Build it into your schedule and your quote, because your client will not.

Crew: how to hire legally

Senior crew in this market work project to project, not on payroll, and there are exactly three legal ways to engage them [17]:

• Freelance permit. MoHRE-regulated, issued via free zones under programmes like GoFreelance, roughly AED 7,250 to 15,000 a year, portfolio required for media applicants.
• Temporary work permit. Lets a company already sponsoring a worker assign them to another company for up to six months. This is how you legitimately borrow crew.
• Mission work permit. Brings someone in from outside the UAE for a specific, time-bound project. This is how you fly in a DOP or VFX supervisor.

Common Mistake: Paying cash to an undocumented freelancer. Use one of the three routes above, or subcontract to another licensed production company.

One flag: a single source reports that Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Knowledge Park have restricted or paused direct freelance visa issuance as of early 2026 [17]. We could not corroborate it, but if true it materially affects a freelance-heavy industry, so check with the zone directly before you build a crew model on it.

Emiratisation applies to you. Media is explicitly one of the 14 targeted sectors under Ministerial Resolution No. 455 of 2023 [17]. Companies with 20 to 49 employees needed one Emirati by end-2024 and a second by end-2025, with a third expected by end-2026, and AED 108,000 per missing hire was collected in January 2026 for the 2025 shortfall. See our Emiratisation 2026 guide.

Competition, and the niche worth taking

The market is high-volume and fragmented. The TECOM media cluster alone hosts over 4,000 companies [5], and directories list dozens of active Dubai production agencies.

At the commoditised end, corporate video and commercials, it is genuinely crowded and price-competitive. Where there are fewer credible players is high-end drama, service production for foreign studios, and large-scale VFX or virtual production, which is exactly where Studio City's soundstage scale is an asset [15].

The best niche for a small shop is service production. Remember two facts from earlier: foreign productions cannot file their own permits and need a UAE-licensed sponsor, and Abu Dhabi and Saudi are paying 35% to 60% rebates that are pulling inbound production into the region. A Dubai company can act as the local licensed entity, crew base and fixer for those shoots, riding rebate-driven inbound volume without competing for brand budgets. It is plausibly the highest-margin, lowest-competition position available to a new entrant.

On getting clients, three channels are real [15]: agency rosters (getting on two or three gives steady subcontracted work), direct brand relationships, and project-matching platforms like Clutch and Sortlist for inbound leads without a network. Government and semi-government work is plausibly significant given Dubai's density of government entities, but we found no data on its scale, so we are not going to claim any.

What are the steps and timeline?

1. Choose your zone: Studio City if you shoot, Media City if you are client-facing, mainland if you need direct mainland and government contracts.
2. Select your activity (5911, 5912, 9000.86) and reserve the trade name.
3. Submit the application, sign your office or flexi-desk lease.
4. Licence issuance, quoted at about seven working days at DMC.
5. Apply for the NMA Commercial Media Licence. Mechanics are still stabilising; confirm current process.
6. Establishment card and visas.
7. Then, per production: DFTC filming permit (3 to 5 days standard, 10 to 25 for landmark or drone), script approval (up to 25 business days), location NOCs, drone clearance if flying.

Realistic timeline: about 3 to 6 weeks to a licensed company, with the first production's permits running separately. Our post-setup services team runs licensing, visas and banking in parallel.

What documents do you need?

• Passport and Emirates ID or visa copies for shareholders and managers, or a No Objection Certificate if resident
• Trade name reservation and initial approval
• Business plan and portfolio (commonly requested by TECOM zones and for media freelance permits)
• Notarised Memorandum of Association and Ejari tenancy for mainland
• For the NMA media licence: Digital ID, passport, photo, an introduction document, MOA, your existing trade licence, and lease
• Per production: script for approval, location NOCs, crew and talent details, drone certification if flying

See our documents required for mainland business setup guide.

Real Client Stories

These are real examples from businesses we have helped set up. Names have been changed for privacy.

Samir's 0% that was not (Dubai Media City)

Samir set up in Media City specifically for the 0% corporate tax rate his adviser promised. Media production is not a Qualifying Activity under Ministerial Decision 229 of 2025, so all of his revenue was non-qualifying and the de minimis rule was never going to help, because it is built for a 5% slice, not the whole business. The consolation was real though: because he was not a Qualifying Free Zone Person, Small Business Relief was still open to him while his revenue was under AED 3 million. His advice: "I picked a zone for a rate my business could never qualify for. Pick it for the studios, not the tax."

Elena's script lock (Dubai mainland)

Elena's agency client wanted dialogue changes two days before a shoot. The script had already gone in for approval and no changes are permitted after submission, so the choice was shoot the approved script or resubmit and lose the window. Her tip: "In London a script lock is a conversation. Here it is a legal date. I now put the approval deadline in the client's contract, not just my call sheet."

Rashid's rebate that did not exist (Dubai)

Rashid built a pitch to a European client around a 40% Dubai production rebate he had read about on several sites. When we asked for the source, every link traced back to one production agency's blog. No trade press had it and no government source confirmed it. He rebuilt the pitch around Dubai's crew depth and locations and won the job anyway. His takeaway: "Five sites saying the same thing is not five sources. It is one source and four copies."

Start your Dubai media company the right way

Dubai has genuine infrastructure, real crew depth, and soundstages nobody else in the region can match outside Abu Dhabi. But it rewards people who know what actually applies. Use the current regulator names. Budget for the media licence layer on top of the trade licence. Build your schedule around script approval, not around your director. Do not choose a free zone for a 0% rate your activity cannot access, but do check whether Small Business Relief is open to you instead. Do not repeat a rebate figure you cannot source. And price foreign-client shoots conservatively until you have a written answer on VAT.

Since 2013, BusinessDubai.ae has completed 700+ company registrations across the UAE, including media, film and production companies, with transparent itemised pricing and no hidden fees. We will pick the right zone for whether you shoot or sell, get the activities right, handle the media licence layer, and sort your visas and bank account, with a clear all-in budget before you commit. Talk to a setup expert→ for a clear plan. If your work spans live events, see our event management guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who regulates media companies in Dubai in 2026?

Three bodies. Your trade licence comes from DDA/TECOM (Media City, Studio City, Production City) or DET on the mainland. Your media activity licence and content standards come from the federal National Media Authority, in force since January 2026. Your per-shoot filming permit comes from the Dubai Films and Games Commission, an emirate body under the Dubai Media Council, still branded DFTC.

Is the National Media Council still the regulator?

No, and this is how you spot a stale guide. The National Media Council was dissolved in 2021. Its successor, the UAE Media Council, was itself replaced in December 2025 by the National Media Authority under Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2025, in force January 2026. The old uaemc.gov.ae domain now redirects to nma.gov.ae. Any page naming the National Media Council has missed two renames.

Is the Dubai Media Council the same as the UAE Media Council?

No, and this trips people up. The federal UAE Media Council is defunct, replaced by the National Media Authority. The Dubai Media Council is a separate, still-active emirate-level body, and since December 2024 it is the parent of the Dubai Films and Games Commission, which handles filming permits.

Do I need a media licence as well as a trade licence?

Yes. The National Media Authority's own Commercial Media Licence service lists an existing trade licence among the required documents, which tells you the trade licence is a prerequisite rather than the whole job. The NMA does not publish a fee, stating only that it depends on the service, and because the authority only came into force in January 2026 the application mechanics are still stabilising.

Which activity code do I need?

5911 for film, TV and video production (features, documentaries, TVCs, corporate video, music videos, digital content, scriptwriting, casting). 5912 for post-production (editing, subtitling, VFX, animation). The 7310 series for advertising, often held alongside. 9000.86 for artistic talent contracting. We could not confirm a distinct code for studio rental, so verify your exact code on the Invest in Dubai portal.

Does mainland media require a local Emirati partner?

No. That has been false since June 2021. 100% foreign ownership is the default on the mainland; only a short list of strategic sectors keeps restrictions (security and defence, banks and finance, insurance, currency printing, telecoms, Hajj and Umrah, Quran centres). Media production is not among them. Some ranking pages still claim otherwise.

Media City, Studio City or Production City?

Media City is office-centric for broadcasters and agencies and has no sound stages of its own. Studio City is where you physically shoot, with sound stages of 11,000 to 50,000 sq ft, a backlot and a water tank. Production City suits post-production, publishing, broadcasting, dubbing and music, at a lower cost.

Is twofour54 a Dubai free zone?

No. twofour54 is in Abu Dhabi, a different emirate with a different regulator and a very different incentive package, including a confirmed 35% to 50% rebate that Dubai does not match. Any list presenting it alongside Media City and Studio City as a Dubai option is wrong.

Who issues filming permits in Dubai?

The Dubai Films and Games Commission, still publicly branded the Dubai Film and TV Commission, is the sole authority and single point of contact for shooting permits anywhere in Dubai. Usefully, it liaises with GDRFA, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and the RTA on your behalf, so you do not petition each authority separately. That is the opposite of how event permits work here.

Do I need a filming permit if I shoot inside my own free zone?

Yes. Filming in Dubai Media City requires permission from TECOM and a DFTC permit. Free-zone tenancy does not exempt you from the citywide permit; it adds a facility-level approval on top.

How much does a Dubai filming permit cost?

Reported as AED 520 for the application (covering multiple days and locations in one submission) plus AED 2,520 flat for public or government locations, with duration varying by content type. Semi-government and private locations run from AED 0 to 25,000 per day, set by the owner. Sources disagree slightly (AED 500 vs 520; 2,500 vs 2,520) and the official portal could not be read, so verify before quoting a client.

How long does a filming permit take?

Standard ground permits run 3 to 5 working days. Landmark, complex or drone shoots run 10 to 25 business days. If your production needs script approval, add up to 25 business days on top, which is a separate track from the permit itself.

What are the penalties for filming without a permit?

Reported at AED 25,000 for unpermitted filming and AED 15,000 for filming outside your permitted location. Those figures come from a secondary source rather than the official portal, so treat them as indicative, but the principle holds: shooting without a permit costs far more than the permit.

Do I need a separate permit for Downtown or the Burj Khalifa?

Yes. Emaar-managed areas including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Fountain require a separate Emaar NOC on top of your DFTC permit, and fees scale toward the top of the AED 25,000 per day band depending on how much of the Burj Khalifa appears in shot.

How does script approval work?

It can take up to 25 business days, a full script is required even for a partial-Dubai shoot, and no changes are permitted after submission. Treat your script lock as a legal deadline rather than a creative one, because you cannot rewrite dialogue on set and shoot it the same day once the script has gone in.

What do I need to fly a drone?

Both the federal GCAA and the emirate-level DCAA. The DCAA does not accept GCAA registration as a substitute; both are mandatory. Register via the UAE Drone App or GCAA eServices; commercial filming, including monetised YouTube work, triggers commercial registration. Commercial operations need a UAS Operator Certificate with an operations manual, SOPs and a risk assessment. Restricted airspace adds Ministry of Defence clearance.

Can a foreign production company get its own Dubai filming permit?

No. The commission will not issue a permit directly to an international company. A foreign production must go through a UAE-licensed production company as sponsor and applicant. That requirement is also a business model: servicing foreign shoots as the local licensed entity is one of the better niches available here.

What content is not allowed?

The standards require respect for Islamic beliefs and other religions and for UAE sovereignty and institutions, and prohibit content harming national unity, inciting sectarian strife, violence, hatred or terrorism, inciting crime, or violating public morals. In practice: no nudity or pornography, no filming government buildings, palaces or military-sensitive sites without a specific permit, alcohol depiction needs prior permission, and filming Emirati women requires explicit consent.

What are the penalties for a content breach?

Up to AED 1 million, doubling to AED 2 million for repeat offences, with temporary closure of up to six months, permanent closure, or licence cancellation available.

Does Dubai censor films?

Less than its reputation suggests. Since a 2021 reform the UAE classifies content by age rating (G, PG, PG13, PG15, 15+, 18+ and 21+) rather than cutting it, and unedited international cuts are permitted at 21+. We could not confirm that the classification function has formally transferred to the National Media Authority, so check the current process.

Does Dubai offer a film production rebate?

Not one we could confirm. Several sites claim Dubai raised a rebate from 30% to 40% effective June 2026, but that claim traces to a single production agency's own blog, echoed across low-authority sites. It appears in no tier-one trade press, and a global law firm's film-incentive survey scopes its UAE section to Abu Dhabi only. What is confirmed is that DFTC reduced permit and processing fees and negotiates supplier discounts, which is a real but much smaller incentive.

Where are the real rebates in the Gulf?

Saudi Arabia offers up to 60%, announced May 2026, the most generous in the region. Abu Dhabi's twofour54 offers 35% and up, reaching up to 50% on a points scale, with the cap raised to USD 10 million, from January 2025. Dubai has no confirmed equivalent, which is a genuine headwind for attracting big-budget inbound productions.

Can a media company get 0% corporate tax in a Dubai free zone?

No. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 sets a closed list of Qualifying Activities and media production, film production, content creation, broadcasting and advertising are not on it. Producing a video is a service, not manufacturing of goods. Being in Media City or Studio City does not change this: the free zone decides whether you can be assessed as a Free Zone Person, but the activity test is the gate.

Doesn't the de minimis rule save me?

No, and this is the part people miss. De minimis tolerates non-qualifying revenue up to the lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5 million. It is designed for a small non-qualifying slice of an otherwise-qualifying business. For a production company essentially 100% of revenue is non-qualifying, so there is nothing for the rule to tolerate.

So is there any tax relief for a small production company?

Yes, and it is a genuine silver lining. Small Business Relief excludes Qualifying Free Zone Persons specifically, not all free-zone entities. Because a Media City production company fails the QFZP activity test, it is an ordinary taxable person and can still elect Small Business Relief if revenue is under AED 3 million. Note that 2026 is the final year that relief is available.

Can I zero-rate production work for a foreign client?

This is genuinely unresolved and we will not pretend otherwise. Article 29 would allow zero-rating as an export; Article 30(6) taxes "cultural, artistic, sporting or educational Services or any similar Services" where performed, and since November 2024 anything caught by it is expressly excluded from zero-rating. No FTA guide or clarification defines those terms, and no Big 4 or law firm alert addresses production companies as a fact pattern. Get a Private Clarification from the FTA for your specific facts.

Why might production count as an "artistic service"?

Because the UAE text contains no "admission to" qualifier. The EU rule taxes only admission to cultural and artistic events at the venue, leaving production-for-hire under the general rule. The UAE text says "any cultural, artistic... or any similar services," full stop, which on a plain reading is broader and could capture the production service itself. Nothing in the law or guidance imports the EU narrowing.

If my foreign client visits the shoot, does that affect VAT?

Very likely yes, and independently of the classification question. Zero-rating requires the recipient to be outside the UAE when the service is performed, and a short visit only survives if it is also "not effectively connected with the supply." The FTA's own examples treat a holiday or an unrelated conference as disconnected. A producer flying in to attend your shoot is neither: attending the shoot is the service being received.

Can I split the invoice into a production fee and a footage licence?

Do not. VATP040 deals with composite and deemed-supply rules, and the FTA looks through artificially fragmented invoicing of what is economically one supply. Splitting one engagement to get part of it to 0% is exactly the pattern those rules exist to catch.

What production work is lower risk for zero-rating?

Engagements where nothing is performed in the UAE in front of the client. Pure post-production or editing for a foreign client who never travels, or a standalone licence of already-shot footage delivered electronically. There is no performance to attend and no UAE event to anchor the special rule. Lower risk, not zero risk.

Do I withhold tax when paying a foreign rights holder?

No. UAE withholding tax is currently 0% on cross-border payments to non-residents, including royalties, so there is no filing obligation. But watch the reverse charge running the other way: if you pay a foreign IP owner for licensed music, stock footage or format rights, you must self-account for 5% VAT, reclaimable as input tax if you are fully taxable.

How much does it cost to set up?

Indicatively from about AED 38,540 for a Dubai Studio City broadcasting and film production licence in year one, or AED 25,000 to 30,000 for an entry-level Media City package, or AED 15,000 to 25,000 for a typical mainland media licence. The National Media Authority does not publish a fee for the media licence, stating only that it depends on the service. Per production, add permit and location fees.

What can I charge for a shoot in Dubai?

Day rates run roughly AED 2,500 to 10,000 for a DOP, 1,500 to 3,000 for a camera operator, 6,000 to 8,000 for a drone operator and 2,000 to 4,000 for a producer, with editing at AED 1,000 to 5,000 per finished minute. Project fees run AED 10,000 to 25,000 for a basic TVC, 30,000 to 60,000 for a professional one, and 80,000 to 500,000-plus for a high-end campaign.

What margin does a Dubai production company make?

No Dubai-specific audited benchmark exists. Generic creative-agency economics suggest 30% to 50% gross and 8% to 20% net, with 15% a common average. A realistic expectation for a new small Dubai house is thin net margins of 5% to 15% in years one and two. Treat that as a reasoned estimate rather than a researched Dubai figure.

Should I buy or rent equipment?

Rent, almost certainly. The rule of thumb is to buy only if you will use the gear 20 to 25 days a year or more; cameras lose 50% to 60% of value in two to three years while lenses and grip hold value. Dubai's rental market is deep, so capex is not a barrier to entry here. Ignore US rent-versus-buy advice: it relies on instant tax write-offs that do not exist in the UAE.

Can I shoot outdoors in summer?

Not between 12:30pm and 3:00pm from 15 June to 15 September. The UAE's midday outdoor work ban prohibits outdoor work in direct sun in that window, with fines up to AED 50,000, and it applies to private-sector outdoor work generally. Outdoor shoots in those months work early morning and evening, move indoors, or take the hit. Build it into your schedule and your quote.

How do I hire crew legally?

Three routes. A freelance permit (roughly AED 7,250 to 15,000 a year, portfolio required for media), a temporary work permit to borrow someone already sponsored by another company for up to six months, or a mission work permit to bring in a specialist from abroad for a specific project. Do not pay cash to an undocumented freelancer. Note one unconfirmed report that some legacy free zones restricted freelance visa issuance in early 2026.

Does Emiratisation apply to a media company?

Yes, and this one is confirmed: media is explicitly one of the 14 targeted sectors under Ministerial Resolution No. 455 of 2023. Companies with 20 to 49 employees needed one Emirati by end-2024 and a second by end-2025, with a third expected by end-2026. AED 108,000 per missing hire was collected in January 2026 for the 2025 shortfall.

Is the Dubai production market saturated?

At the commoditised end, corporate video and commercials, yes. There are fewer credible players in high-end drama, service production for foreign studios, and large-scale VFX or virtual production, which is where Studio City's soundstage scale is an asset. The best niche for a small shop is service production for foreign shoots, which rides Abu Dhabi's and Saudi's rebate-driven inbound volume without competing for brand budgets.

References

[1] UAE Government and national press. Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2025 establishing the National Media Authority (signed 30 September 2025, announced 18 December 2025, in force January 2026), replacing the UAE Media Council, the National Media Office and the Emirates News Agency; the regulator's former domain uaemc.gov.ae now redirects to nma.gov.ae. The naming history: National Media Council (Federal Law 1/2006, dissolved 2021) → Media Regulatory Office (2021) → UAE Media Council (2022) → National Media Authority (2025/2026). The NMA's Commercial Media Licence service, whose required documents include an existing trade licence, with the fee stated only as "depends on the service." Separately, the Dubai Media Council is Dubai's own emirate-level body (Law No. 5 of 2022, amended by Decree No. 66 of 2024), distinct from the defunct federal UAE Media Council; Decree No. 67 of 2024 and Law No. 29 of 2024 moved the Dubai Film and TV Commission from the Dubai Development Authority to the Dubai Media Council, restructuring it into the Dubai Films and Games Commission. Application mechanics under the NMA are still stabilising and whether existing licences migrate automatically could not be established. uaelegislation.gov.ae and nma.gov.ae

[2] Dubai activity classification for media businesses (5911 film, TV and video production; 5912 post-production; the 7310 advertising series; 9000.86 artistic talent contracting). No distinct code for studio rental was confirmed. DET's portal blocks automated access, so codes are cross-confirmed across setup sources rather than verified at source; confirm before filing. app.invest.dubai.ae

[3] UAE Government. Full foreign ownership of mainland companies following the June 2021 Commercial Companies Law reform (Cabinet Resolution No. 55 of 2021). Ownership restrictions remain only for a short list of strategic-impact sectors (security and defence, banks and finance, insurance, currency printing, telecommunications, Hajj and Umrah services, Quran centres), which does not include media production. u.ae

[4] Government of Dubai. Executive Council Resolution No. 11 of 2025 (effective 3 March 2025), permitting free zone establishments to operate on the mainland via a branch licence (reported around AED 10,000 per year), a dual licence, or a temporary permit (reported around AED 5,000), excluding DIFC. DET was required to publish a list of eligible economic activities; that list was not located, so whether film and media production activities qualify should be confirmed. Fee figures are from secondary legal commentary.

[5] TECOM Group and press. The TECOM media cluster (Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Production City) reporting more than 4,000 customers and 40,000 creative professionals; Dubai Media City with over 3,000 companies from more than 140 nationalities; Dubai Studio City sound stages of 11,000 to 50,000 sq ft with backlot and water tank; past productions including Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Star Trek Beyond. Note the TECOM Group-wide figures (11,800+ customers across 10 districts) cover all sectors and should not be conflated with the media cluster. tecomgroup.ae and dubaistudiocity.ae

[6] Dubai Film and TV Commission / Dubai Films and Games Commission. The commission as sole authority and single point of contact for filming permits under Dubai Government Executive Council Decision No. 16 of 2012, coordinating with GDRFA, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and the RTA on the applicant's behalf; the requirement for both TECOM permission and a DFTC permit when filming in Dubai Media City; the fee schedule under Executive Decision No. 50/2014 (AED 520 application, AED 2,520 public/government location, AED 0 to 25,000 per day private, AED 0 aerial location fee up to 7 days); timelines of 3 to 5 working days standard and 10 to 25 business days for landmark or drone shoots; the separate Emaar NOC for Downtown locations; script approval of up to 25 business days with a full script required and no post-submission changes; and the rule that foreign production companies must apply through a UAE-licensed production company. Sources disagree on the application fee (AED 500 vs 520) and location fee (AED 2,500 vs 2,520), and the official portal is JavaScript-rendered and could not be read directly; verify before quoting. Reported penalties of AED 25,000 for unpermitted filming and AED 15,000 for filming outside the permitted location are from a secondary aggregator, not the official portal. filmdubai.gov.ae and dfgc.ae

[7] General Civil Aviation Authority and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. Both federal GCAA and emirate-level DCAA approval are mandatory for drone operations in Dubai, with DCAA not accepting GCAA registration as a substitute; registration via the UAE Drone App or GCAA eServices; commercial filming including monetised content triggering commercial registration; the UAS Operator Certificate requiring an operations manual, SOPs, maintenance and emergency protocols and a risk assessment; and Ministry of Defence clearance for restricted airspace. The reported UOC fees (approximately AED 3,000 application and AED 2,000 annual renewal, 30 to 60 days processing) come from a third-party source, not GCAA or DCAA directly, and could not be verified; DCAA's aerial filming service page could not be read. gcaa.gov.ae and dcaa.gov.ae

[8] UAE media content standards, administered by the National Media Authority (the substantive standards are not reported to have changed with the regulator's restructuring): respect for Islamic beliefs and other religions and for UAE sovereignty, symbols and institutions; no content harming national unity or social cohesion; no incitement to sectarian strife, violence, hatred or terrorism; no incitement to crime; no content violating public morals or promoting extremist ideology. Reported practical prohibitions (no nudity or pornography, no filming government buildings, palaces or military-sensitive sites without permit, alcohol depiction requiring prior permission, filming Emirati women requiring explicit consent) and penalties (up to AED 1 million, doubling to AED 2 million for repeat offences, with closure and licence cancellation powers) are from secondary sources rather than the primary decree text. The 2021 reform introduced age classification (G, PG, PG13, PG15, 15+, 18+, 21+) with unedited international cuts permitted at 21+; whether the classification function formally transferred to the NMA could not be confirmed.

[9] Production incentives. The claim that Dubai raised a production rebate from 30% to 40% effective 1 June 2026 traces to a single point of origin (a Dubai production agency's content marketing) echoed across low-authority sites, and appears in no tier-one trade source (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily, Broadcast Pro ME, The National, Gulf News, Khaleej Times), all of which covered Abu Dhabi's and Saudi Arabia's rebate changes in the same period. A global law firm's survey of film incentives scopes its UAE section to Abu Dhabi only and does not list Dubai as having a rebate. Do not treat a Dubai rebate as confirmed. What is confirmed: DFTC reduced permit and processing fees (semi-government location processing from approximately USD 217 to USD 136) and negotiates supplier discounts. Confirmed regional rebates: Abu Dhabi (twofour54 / Abu Dhabi Film Commission) at 35%++ rising to up to 50% on a points scale with the cap raised from USD 5m to USD 10m, from 1 January 2025; Saudi Arabia at up to 60%, announced May 2026. variety.com, deadline.com, screendaily.com, film.gov.ae and mediaoffice.abudhabi

[10] Federal Tax Authority and Ministry of Finance. UAE Corporate Tax (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022): 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above. Small Business Relief (Ministerial Decision No. 73 of 2023): AED 3,000,000 revenue threshold, must be elected, available only for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026, and not available to Qualifying Free Zone Persons or members of multinational groups. tax.gov.ae and mof.gov.ae

[11] Ministry of Finance. Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 regarding Qualifying Activities and Excluded Activities: the closed list of Qualifying Activities in Article 2(1), which does not include media production, film production, content creation, broadcasting or advertising and has no general services category; the Article 3 de minimis requirement (lower of 5% of revenue or AED 5,000,000), which cannot assist a business whose revenue is entirely non-qualifying; the exclusion of transactions with natural persons; and Article 5(2), under which a person ceases to be a Qualifying Free Zone Person for the relevant tax period and the subsequent four. Free zone location determines eligibility to be assessed as a Free Zone Person; the activity test is the operative gate. mof.gov.ae

[12] Federal Tax Authority. Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT: Article 29 (general place of supply, supplier's residence) and Article 30(6) ("In case of the supply of any cultural, artistic, sporting or educational Services or any similar Services; the place of supply shall be the place where such services are performed"); the Executive Regulations (Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2017 as amended by Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2024, effective 15 November 2024), Article 31 on zero-rating the export of services, which since the amendment expressly excludes supplies treated as performed in the State under Article 30 clauses 3 to 8; Public Clarification VATP019 on zero-rating exported services and the "outside the State" and "effectively connected with the supply" tests, including the FTA's worked examples treating an unrelated holiday or conference as disconnected; Public Clarification VATP040 (March 2025), including the 30-day rolling 12-month presence test and the composite and deemed-supply rules; and the FTA's Private Clarifications guide (TPGPC1) as the route to a binding answer. No FTA guide, Public Clarification or ruling defines "cultural, artistic, sporting, educational or any similar services," and no Big 4 or law firm alert (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, BDO, Andersen, DLA Piper) addresses media or production companies as a distinct fact pattern under these provisions. The classification of film and video production under Article 30(6) is therefore genuinely unresolved. tax.gov.ae

[13] Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022. UAE withholding tax on cross-border payments to non-residents, including royalties and service fees, is currently set at 0%, with no consequent filing obligation; the framework permits a positive rate to be introduced without new primary legislation. Reverse charge applies to imported services, so a production company paying a foreign rights holder for licensed music, stock footage or format rights must self-account for 5% VAT, recoverable as input tax where the business is fully taxable. tax.gov.ae

[14] Indicative setup costs for Dubai media companies: Dubai Studio City broadcasting and film production licence from approximately AED 38,540 in year one; DSC trade licence alone approximately AED 15,000 excluding rent; DSC flexi-desk or freelance permit AED 7,500 to 15,000 per year; Dubai Media City entry-level package AED 25,000 to 30,000 and a larger executive office (approximately 190 sqm) around AED 203,000; mainland media licence typically AED 15,000 to 25,000, with initial approval around AED 235, trade name around AED 735, MOA notarisation AED 1,500 to 3,200, licence issuance AED 600 plus AED 280 per additional activity, Chamber membership AED 1,200 and a market fee of 5% of annual office rent; DMC registration quoted at approximately 7 working days. All figures are from setup consultancies rather than published rate cards, which TECOM and DET do not provide for these activities.

[15] Dubai production industry pricing, economics and operations. Crew day rates and project fees cross-referenced across approximately six independent Dubai production companies' published pricing (directionally reliable despite each source's marketing incentive). Margins are generic creative-agency benchmarks (30% to 50% gross, 8% to 20% net, 15% a common average) rather than Dubai-specific audited data; the 5% to 15% net expectation for a new small house is a reasoned estimate. Equipment rent-versus-buy rules of thumb (buy above 20 to 25 days of use per year; cameras losing 50% to 60% of value in two to three years) are general industry guidance, and note that US tax framing does not transfer as the UAE has no instant write-off equivalent. Cash-flow and deposit practice (30% to 50% upfront) is industry convention, not a verified statistic. Competition, niches (corporate video, documentary, service production for foreign shoots) and client-acquisition channels (agency rosters, direct brands, project-matching platforms) are drawn from directory and trade sources; no data was found on the scale of government or semi-government work.

[16] UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The midday outdoor work ban runs 15 June to 15 September, prohibiting outdoor work under direct sun from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, with fines up to AED 50,000 and narrow exemptions. It applies to private-sector outdoor work generally, which on its plain terms covers outdoor film and commercial shoots. mohre.gov.ae

[17] Crew engagement and Emiratisation. The three legal routes to engage crew: the freelance permit (MoHRE-regulated, issued via free zones, roughly AED 7,250 to 15,000 per year, portfolio required for media applicants), the temporary work permit (assigning an already-sponsored worker to another company for up to six months) and the mission work permit (bringing a worker from outside the UAE for a specific project). One unconfirmed single-source report indicates Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Knowledge Park restricted or paused direct freelance visa issuance in early 2026; verify with the zone. Media is explicitly one of the 14 targeted sectors under Ministerial Resolution No. 455 of 2023; companies with 20 to 49 employees required one Emirati by end-2024 and a second by end-2025 with a third expected by end-2026, and AED 108,000 per missing hire was collected in January 2026 for the 2025 shortfall. u.ae and mohre.gov.ae

[18] BusinessDubai.ae. Internal data from UAE media, film and production company registrations since 2013, including zone selection, activities, the media licence layer, filming permits, VAT and corporate tax positions, visas, banking and client case studies. businessdubai.ae