In Dubai, a scripted project usually needs script approval before a filming permit. That is a separate step from the permit itself. Public reporting of the Dubai Film and TV Commission process says the full script is submitted even if only some sequences will be shot here, and that once it is in, the pages should not be rewritten on the quiet.
Who files it
Individuals and international companies can start a script application on the commission’s script portal. A filming permit still needs a licensed UAE production house as the applicant. We prepare pages, dates and locations so the file matches what you will actually shoot.
Language
Khaleej Times, writing from the commission’s brief, reported that Arabic-language productions submit the full script in Arabic, and that other houses submit in English. If your pages are in a third language, ask the commission — do not assume a treatment in French will pass.
How long it takes
The same reporting has cited up to 25 business days for script approval. The commission’s own FAQ lists different windows for features, series and documentaries after that. We do not invent a faster clock. Build the recce around the official window, then apply for the permit.
Is it free?
The official FAQ has said script approval is free of charge. Fees for the filming permit are a later step. Confirm both on the current FAQ — we do not publish dirham figures here.
What we do
We check that dates and locations on the pages match the scout, that the synopsis a producer typed in a hurry still matches the draft, and that the licensed house on the permit is the same house on the script file. Write to lata@carvingdreamsevent.com with the pages and the cities.
Questions
- Can I skip script approval?
- Not if the project is scripted. Confirm the current rule on the commission site.
- Partial shoot in Dubai?
- Reporting says you still submit the full script.
- Can you write the script?
- We produce. If you have pages or a treatment, send them.
Ready when you are.