One city permit, then the location owner
The structure is the same everywhere in Dubai. Under Resolution 50/2014 the film commission is the only body that issues media filming permits in the emirate, and before it issues one it has to coordinate with the public or private entity that owns the location. That entity must approve the shoot. So you file once with the commission, and the commission collects the yes from Emaar, Dubai Municipality, RTA or whoever holds the land.
The processing fee is AED 520 per application, and one application can list several days and locations. Government locations add a location fee, usually AED 2,500. We cover that fee table, timelines and the step-by-step process in our Dubai filming permit guide; this article goes location by location.
A note on names. The Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) moved under the Dubai Media Council in December 2024, and Dubai Media Office announced that a new Dubai Films and Games Commission would succeed it. A May 2025 decree confirmed the new commission took over the DFTC mandate. Venues, airports and DIFC still write "DFTC" on their pages, so you will see both names.
Location by location
| Location | Who approves besides the commission | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Mall, Downtown, Burj Khalifa plaza | Emaar (master developer) | No public tariff; legal cap AED 25,000 per day | Resolution 50/2014 |
| At the Top, Burj Khalifa | Emaar | "We do not allow professional photography at the attractions" | At the Top FAQ |
| Dubai Marina, JBR, Palm Jumeirah | Land owner or master developer | No public tariff | J-Cut (agency) |
| Public beaches and parks | Dubai Municipality | No DM fee published; one agency lists AED 2,500 | Hoodlum (agency) |
| Desert: Al Qudra, Al Marmoom | Dubai Municipality NOC | No fee published | J-Cut (agency) |
| Roads | RTA and Dubai Police | Road closure permit for public events AED 220 | Grolez Films (agency) |
| Metro and tram | RTA | No filming service in RTA's catalogue | Grolez Films (agency) |
| DIFC | DIFC Investments | Own request after the city permit, at least 1 working day | DIFC |
| Al Fahidi, Al Shindagha, Etihad Museum and other heritage sites | Dubai Culture | NOC form online | Dubai Culture |
| DXB and DWC airports | Dubai Airports and Dubai Police | Landside about 3 working days | Dubai Airports |
| Museum of the Future | Museum press team | Shoot requests via the press page, no fee published | Museum of the Future |
| Expo City Dubai | Expo City management | Ticket terms ban professional filming kit | Expo City terms |
Rows marked "agency" rely on production companies' guides because the authority itself publishes nothing on the point.
Dubai Mall, Downtown and the Burj Khalifa
Emaar owns the mall, the plaza, the lake and the tower, so a shoot there runs on Emaar's approval inside the city permit. Emaar does not publish a filming tariff. The only hard number is the legal ceiling of AED 25,000 per day for a private place open to the public, and an owner that charges more must refund the excess unless the commission decides otherwise.
One production company puts a small half-day corporate shoot on the plaza, without a drone, at AED 5,000–15,000 once the permit, Emaar's fee, insurance and fixer time are added. The same guide notes that interiors, lifts and At the Top need their own Emaar sign-off. At the Top's own FAQ says it does not allow professional photography at the attraction and offers photo kiosks instead.
If the tower only sits in the background, the Atlas guide suggests public vantage points such as the Business Bay waterfront or Dubai Creek Harbour. That skips Emaar's step; the city permit still applies.
Stock agencies add one more filter: Getty Images treats images where the Burj Khalifa is isolated or the main subject as unsuitable for commercial use. If the tower is the hero of your ad, raise the image rights with Emaar during the approval.
Beaches, the Marina and the desert
Public beaches, parks and corniches belong to Dubai Municipality. Production agencies list it as the approving body for beaches, parks and desert shoots, with the Coast Guard added for anything on the water. Hoodlum quotes AED 2,500 for such authority fees; Dubai Municipality itself publishes no filming fee that we could find.
The protected desert areas at Al Qudra and Al Marmoom need a Dubai Municipality NOC, according to J-Cut Production. Dubai Marina, JBR and the Palm mix public promenades with private estates, so expect the land owner's approval on top of the city permit for beaches and managed areas. A drone over any of them brings GCAA and DCAA approvals, covered in our drone filming guide.
Metro, roads, DIFC, airports and museums
RTA handles roads. A production company that searched RTA's 95 published services found only one that mentions filming: a road closure permit for a public event, AED 220, 7 working days. It found nothing for filming inside the metro or tram. That is a gap in what RTA publishes, not a permission, so put metro shots in the permit application and get RTA's answer in writing.
DIFC is the clearest case. Its photoshoot page says all photography or videography in the district needs prior approval; commercial productions apply to the film commission first, then submit DIFC's form and wait at least one working day. Dubai Culture runs an online NOC form for its sites, from Al Fahidi to the Etihad Museum.
Airports have the most detailed rules. Dubai Airports needs written permission from itself and Dubai Police for landside shoots, processed in about 3 working days, and airport security passes for every person and camera airside. Commercial airport shoots also need the commission's location permit.
The Museum of the Future routes on-site film and photo shoot requests through its press page. Expo City's ticket terms, published on its Alif pavilion site, bar ticket holders from bringing professional filming equipment or lenses over 30 cm and allow visitor footage only for private use.
Phone, camera or crew: where the line sits
No Dubai authority publishes a threshold between a tourist's video and a commercial shoot. A travel guide that checked the official sources found no published photography policy for Dubai Mall, the metro or public beaches. Security guards react to tripods, lights and crews; the law reacts to purpose.
Our working rule: if the footage promotes a business, whether you are paid in cash, barter or not at all, treat it as commercial and get the permit, even if you shoot on a phone. The fines make the maths simple. The commission's fine list, as reported by Khaleej Times, sets AED 25,000 for filming without permission from the relevant authorities and AED 15,000 for shooting without a location permission.
Where sources disagree
The fine for filming without a permit appears with three numbers. Khaleej Times reports AED 25,000 from the Dubai commission's list. The schedule attached to Resolution 50/2014 lists AED 15,000 for filming outside the locations named in the permit. The federal penalties in Cabinet Resolution 42/2025 allow AED 10,000, then AED 40,000 on a repeat for a media activity without a permit, filming included. Dubai and federal fines are separate regimes, and we found no case showing whether both apply to one shoot.
People in the frame
A location approval covers the place. People who appear in your footage need their own consent. Filming someone without consent, even in a public place, can lead to prison of at least 6 months and a fine of AED 150,000 to AED 500,000 under the cybercrime law. At a busy location like JBR or the Dubai Fountain, shoot early, frame strangers out of focus and collect written releases from anyone recognisable. If the finished video goes out through an influencer, they also need an Advertiser Permit.
How we plan a multi-location shoot
We list every location with its owner, group all days and places into one application so the AED 520 fee is paid once, and add 1–3 working days for each second approval such as DIFC, Dubai Culture or the airport. Where the brief allows, we swap a private location for a public vantage point. Our one-off shoots start from AED 950 (special offer), as published on our video production page, and the quote includes permit and location costs.
