Abu Dhabi is to increase its film and TV rebate in a bid to entice productions from the US, Bollywood and Arab world to shoot in the UAE capital.
Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC) has revealed the existing rebate of 30% will raise to at least 35% for qualifying productions from January 1, 2025.
Abu Dhabi was the first in the Gulf region to offer a cashback rebate for productions in 2013 and has hosted more than 150 shoots including blockbuster Hollywood features Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1, Dune and Dune: Part Two, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Fast And Furious 7. Its locations have also been used for Bollywood hits such as Tiger Zinda Hai and Bharat, as well as regional drama series and small-scale productions.
But others have followed suit with nearby Saudi Arabia ramping up its activity with studios at NEOM and AlUla alongside attractive production incentives of at least 40%, intensifying competition in the region.
The increased rebate will aim to fuel Abu Dhabi’s extensive production ecosystem, which includes than 800 locally-based media companies (more than 300 of whom are production specific), a 1,000-strong freelancer talent pool and young people in the capital seeking training and internship opportunities. There is also a Golden Visa scheme, which launched in 2019, offering long-term residence with benefits for international talent wanting to work or study in the emirate.
Last year, government-backed twofour54 Abu Dhabi announced the building of a major new studio complex that would open by 2025, spanning more than 100 acres, including 11 soundstages, an exterior water tank and six standing sets. The complex, named twofour54 Studios, will also include office space, post-production facilities, permanent tenancies and screening rooms.
Sameer Al Jaberi, Head of ADFC, said: “Since launching our rebate scheme in 2013, more than 150 major productions have benefited from the offering. This generates a huge impact on our economy as independently verified research shows that for every dirham paid through the scheme, more than three dirhams flows back into the economy through hosting large scale productions in the Emirate.
“Alongside the financial stimulus into the economy, visiting productions provide a tremendous learning and training opportunity for young creatives who are the nation’s storytellers of the future, this focus ensures a strong self-sustaining industry. As we near the release of the rebate on 1 January 2025, further information will be shared in the lead up with our existing production industry database.”
The ADFC team is at Mipcom in Cannes this week with representatives from parent body the Creative Media Authority, twofour54 and 14 production industry partners to talk up the increased incentive and draw film and TV productions to the capital.
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