This promotes the UAE capital as a leading production location…

Abu Dhabi’s decade-long reputation as a destination of choice for some of the biggest filmmakers and movie studios on the planet has just received a supercharge with the news that producers will be eligible for a 50 per cent rebate on in-market production and post-production costs, beginning January 1, 2025.

While the existing rebate figure of 35 per cent has proven a massive draw with studios and filmmakers from some of the most successful banners in the world, what began as a groundbreaking 30 per cent rebate scheme in 2013 now spells a potential whopping half-off – and that’s over tens of millions of dollars, for those that need to be snapped out of a headline-induced reverie.

Media/source: Unsplash, What’s On archive, wam.ae

With the rebate chiefly pulling feature-length cinema producers, the new structure encompasses those that wish to bring their clapperboards to the UAE capital with the vision of producing reality TV, short films, game shows, and animated media, in addition to regional and local ones as announced by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission – as long as they qualify via a clear set of criteria and sliding-scale points system.

As you might’ve guessed, the increased financial project caps and a streamlined process will aim to grow, strengthen and attract strategic investment into the capital’s film and television industry. However, carefully-curated changes to the system will power Emirati production talent, including directors, writers, stunt coordinators and other significant roles, with additional support available for productions that highlight Emirati heritage, culture and ethos. The overarching priority will lie on safeguarding Emirati culture, while drawing investment from all corners of the globe.

Mission-Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One was filmed in Abu Dhabi

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Eligiblity

The points-based eligibility system stipulates that productions scoring between 10 to 14 points gain a 2.5 per cent uplift on the existing baseline of 35 per cent, with a maximum added rebate of up to 15 per cent for productions that score 85 points or above. If you’re wondering how they can rank that high on the eligibility scale, there’s a myriad of ways such as: featuring the UAE’s national history, culture and identity, carrying out post-production entirely in Abu Dhabi, carrying out main unit production of feature films in Abu Dhabi, creating content that utilises Emirati talent and/or filming an entire television series in the UAE capital.

Also…

The new rebate initiative aims to increase caps on total financial assistance delivered to studios from Hollywood, the hugely-successful Indian film industry, and the Arab region, and that could mean qualifying feature films will receive an increase in Abu Dhabi Qualifying Production Expenditure (ADQPE) from US$5 million to US$10 million.

Finally, the new changes will result in the streamlining and tightening of projected timelines for the rebate process, with interim certificate validity rising from 60 days to 90 days. That allows production an additional month to begin principal photography in Abu Dhabi – with an additional discretionary 120 days. As reported, from the point the final certificate is issued towards the end of the rebate process, producers will now see paid funds in 30 business days, as opposed to the previous timeframe of 60 business days.

While the reception of the 35 per cent increase in October was tremendous, with interest garnered from all corners of the world – it is then no surprise that these new changes will result in Abu Dhabi’s standing as a prime production destination globally being bolstered to new heights.