Where these numbers come from
UAE model agencies rarely publish prices, but a few do: Diva Dubai posts a full rate card, and Five25 and Shams publish their client terms. Casting platforms such as MMG Talent print the fee in each job. We read them on 13 October 2026. These are one agency's rate card and individual castings, not market statistics; treat them as a starting point for negotiation.
Day rates by category
Diva Dubai's rate card, for an 8-hour day, before usage:
| Category | Day rate |
|---|---|
| New face | AED 500–1,000 |
| Commercial (lifestyle, e-commerce, catalogue) | AED 1,500–3,000 |
| Kids / teens (guardian present) | AED 1,000–2,500 |
| Senior (50+) | AED 1,500–4,000 |
| Plus size / curve | AED 2,000–5,000 |
| Fashion (editorial, beauty) | AED 2,500–6,000 |
| Model with 10K+ following, incl. platform usage | AED 3,500–10,000+ |
| Celebrity or titleholder | AED 10,000–25,000+ |
Real castings sit inside that card. One hotel shoot on MMG Talent offered AED 1,800 for a 12-hour day, AED 1,200 for half a day and AED 1,500 for usage. A clothing brand casting on the same platform listed AED 1,500 a day plus AED 150 per fitting and a buyout of AED 17,000 per talent, payable only if the person is fully recognisable in the ad.
How usage is priced
Usage is the licence to show the model's face in a given medium, territory and period. Five25's terms say the client may only use images within the "Agreed Usage" on the booking form; another product, medium or territory needs the talent's approval and normally a further fee. Shams adds that usage fees are payable whether or not you use the right.
Diva Dubai's loadings, as a percentage of the day rate:
| By period | Add-on | By medium | Add-on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +25% | Website / e-commerce | +15–30% |
| 3 months | +50% | Online / social | +25–50% |
| 6 months | +75% | Paid ads / boosted posts | +50–100% |
| 1 year | +100% | Print, retail POS | +25–50% |
| 2 years | +150% | Packaging | +75–150% |
| Unlimited buyout | +200–300% | Outdoor (billboards) | +100–150% |
| TV / cinema | +150–300% |
Territory: UAE is the base rate, GCC +25%, MENA +50%, global +100–200%.
Three worked usage quotes
All three start from a commercial model at AED 2,000 a day and add Diva Dubai's loadings to the base rate. This is our arithmetic on a published card; agencies negotiate.
| Scenario | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce photos on your own website, UAE, 1 year | 2,000 + 100% + 15–30% | AED 4,300–4,600 |
| Instagram and TikTok paid ads, UAE, 3 months | 2,000 + 50% + 50–100% | AED 4,000–5,000 |
| Billboards across the GCC, 1 year | 2,000 + 100% + 100–150% + 25% | AED 6,500–7,500 |
The billboard version costs more than three times the day rate. That is normal, and it is why you should decide where the images will run before the shoot, not after.
What nobody tells you
Even published examples don't add up. Diva Dubai's own example takes a AED 3,000 day rate, adds +100% for a year, +30% for social and web and +25% for GCC, and arrives at AED 6,450. Adding those loadings to the base gives AED 7,650. Ask any agency to show how its percentages combine before you sign.
Overtime is rounded up. Five25 charges AED 250 per hour beyond the booked time, rounded up to the next hour. A half day at Five25 is 4 hours and a full day 8; commercial and TVC days elsewhere are often 12 hours, as in the MMG castings. Check which definition your booking uses.
Cancelling late costs the full fee. Five25 and Shams charge the full fee within 24 hours of call time and half within 24–48 hours. Inflink's default ladder keeps 25% at 3–7 days, 50% at 24–72 hours and 100% under 24 hours. Weather is not an excuse under these terms.
Fittings and back-ups are paid. Shams charges AED 225 per hour for pre-fittings. Five25 charges 50% of the day rate for back-up talent who stands by unused, and 100% if they appear in any image.
Your photographer is bound too. Shams requires the client to pass usage limits to the photographer and anyone receiving rights. If your studio reuses images for its portfolio ads, that can breach the model's usage.
A cheap freelancer may not be legal to invoice you. A model working independently needs a licence; freelance permits that cover modelling cost around AED 7,500–12,000 a year. Agencies take 20–30% commission from the model, which is part of why agency rates are higher.
Checklist for the booking form
- Medium: website, organic social, paid ads, print, outdoor, TV
- Territory: UAE, GCC, global
- Period: start date and end date
- Exclusivity: category and duration, priced separately
- Working hours, overtime rate and rounding
- Fittings, recalls, rehearsals and back-up talent
- Cancellation ladder
- Whether the model will also post on their own account, and its fee
What Savage Media charges
| Savage Media | Special offer | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle Day | AED 5,500/day | Supercar, yacht or penthouse day: 4+ reels and 20+ photos |
| One-off photo or video shoot | from AED 950 | Photos from 24 hours, video from 2 days |
Talent and usage are quoted separately when a shoot needs them. For the rest of the budget, see yacht photoshoot costs, supercar photoshoots and our video cost calculator.
