Video production in Dubai (2026) typically costs AED 5,000–50,000, and a standard 1–3 minute corporate video averages AED 10,000–30,000. But «video production» isn’t one price — a product packshot, a reels batch, a CGI hero film and a TV commercial live in completely different bands. This guide prices each type on its own line: a range, what you actually get delivered, and how long it takes. If you want the wider context and cost-driver logic first, read our 2026 video production cost overview; this page goes type by type.
I’m Artur Gall, CEO at SL Media. We run video, photography, CGI and AI production in-house from our Dubai base, so the ranges below aren’t scraped from a directory — they’re the numbers we quote and see quoted across the market every week. Where the market is wide (music videos, TVCs), I’ll tell you why. Where competitors stay vague — CGI, 3D product, AI — I’ll give you the real per-minute logic.
One rule of thumb before the tables: on a typical brand shoot, roughly 60% of the budget goes to production (crew, gear, location, shoot days) and 40% to post (edit, colour, sound, VFX). If a quote is 90% shoot and almost nothing for post, the edit is where quality quietly disappears.
Quick answer: video production costs in Dubai (2026 at a glance)
The fast version: a social reel starts around AED 1,500, a corporate video sits in the AED 6,000–30,000 band, and a cinematic brand film or TVC runs from AED 25,000 well past AED 100,000. CGI and AI are priced on different logic — per finished minute or per project, not per shoot day.
| Video type | Price range (AED) | Typical deliverable | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social / UGC / reels (15–60s) | 1,500–8,000 | 1–3 vertical cutdowns, captions | 3–10 days |
| Product packshot video | 800–1,500 / product | Clean rotating clip, white or set BG | 3–7 days |
| Hero product film | 5,000–30,000 | 30–60s hero + social cutdowns | 2–4 weeks |
| Corporate video (1–3 min) | 6,000–30,000 | Master + subtitle version | 3–5 weeks |
| Event & conference (per day) | 2,500–10,000 | Highlight reel + raw archive | 3–10 days |
| Real-estate walkthrough | 2,500–5,500 | Walkthrough + drone + agent cut | 1–2 weeks |
| Brand film / cinematic | 25,000–100,000+ | Hero film + cutdowns + BTS | 4–8 weeks |
| Music video | 11,000–220,000+ | Master + performance/story edit | 3–8 weeks |
| TV commercial (TVC) | 30,000–150,000+ | Broadcast master + versions | 6–12 weeks |
| CGI / 3D animation | from ~1,800 / finished min | Rendered sequence, any aspect ratio | 2–6 weeks |
| AI video | 3,000–45,000 | AI-generated/assisted spot + cutdowns | 1–3 weeks |
Every line below unpacks what sits inside that range.
Video production cost by type (2026 price table)
Each type has its own cost engine. A conference is priced per shoot day. A corporate video is priced per project. CGI is priced per finished minute. Mixing those logics is how brands end up comparing quotes that were never comparable. Here’s each one on its own terms.
Corporate video (1–3 min): AED 6,000–30,000
The workhorse of Dubai brand content: an «about us», a service explainer, a leadership piece, a recruitment film. A single interview setup with clean b-roll sits at the lower end; multi-location, multiple speakers, scripted VO and motion graphics push it up.
| Tier | Price (AED) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 6,000–12,000 | 1 location, 1 shoot day, small crew, straight edit |
| Standard | 12,000–20,000 | 2 locations, scripted, b-roll, VO, light motion graphics |
| Premium | 20,000–30,000+ | Multi-day, cinematic lighting, graphics package, Arabic version |
Deliverable: one polished master (usually 16:9) plus a subtitled or Arabic version. Timeline: 3–5 weeks across pre-production, a 1–2 day shoot, and post. For the full service scope and crew setup, see our professional video production services in Dubai.
Product & e-commerce video: packshot vs hero film
Two very different jobs sit under «product video,» and conflating them wrecks a budget. A product packshot video costs AED 800–1,500 per product — a clean, well-lit rotating or 3-angle clip for a listing, priced in volume like photography. A hero product film costs AED 5,000–30,000 — a concept-led piece with lighting design, macro detail, motion and sound.
| Format | Price (AED) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Packshot (per product) | 800–1,500 | Marketplace listings, catalogue, bulk SKUs |
| Lifestyle / demo clip | 3,000–8,000 | Social, how-it-works, context shots |
| Hero product film | 5,000–30,000 | Launches, campaigns, brand storytelling |
Deliverable: master plus 9:16 and 1:1 cutdowns for social. Timeline: packshots 3–7 days; hero films 2–4 weeks. For the full workflow, see our product & e-commerce video production. When a product needs impossible angles, seasonal colourways or a launch before stock lands, this is where CGI and 3D product animation often beats a shoot outright.
Social / UGC / reels (15–60s): AED 1,500–8,000
A professional social reel (15–60s) costs AED 1,500–8,000 depending on whether it’s UGC-style single-camera or a produced piece with a proper crew and edit. The economics change completely when you batch — more on that below.
| Tier | Price (AED) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| UGC-style | 1,500–3,000 | 1 creator, natural light, quick edit |
| Produced reel | 3,000–5,500 | Small crew, lighting, sound, motion captions |
| Premium short-form | 5,500–8,000 | Concept, art direction, colour, sound design |
Deliverable: 9:16 vertical master with burned-in captions, plus a 1:1 or 16:9 cutdown. Timeline: 3–10 days. Distribution and paid strategy sit with a marketing team, not production — we deliver the assets ready to run.
Brand film / cinematic: AED 25,000–100,000+
A brand film sells belief, not a spec sheet. Expect a director, a treatment, a full crew, cinema cameras (ARRI Alexa or RED), talent, location and a heavy post pass with colour grade and original sound design.
| Tier | Price (AED) | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cinematic | 25,000–45,000 | 1–2 day shoot, small cast, one strong location |
| Mid | 45,000–75,000 | Multi-location, talent, motion graphics, licensed music |
| Flagship | 75,000–100,000+ | Multi-day, VFX, name talent, buyout rights |
Deliverable: hero film plus social cutdowns and a BTS piece. Timeline: 4–8 weeks. This is the tier where professional video production services in Dubai earn their keep on pre-production and craft.
Event & conference (per day): AED 2,500–10,000
Priced per shoot day, scaled by camera count. One operator covering a panel sits at the bottom; a multi-cam gala with a same-day teaser sits at the top.
| Coverage | Price (AED/day) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Single-cam | 2,500–4,000 | 1 operator, highlight edit |
| Multi-cam | 4,000–7,000 | 2–3 cameras, audio feed, highlight + speakers |
| Full production | 7,000–10,000 | 3+ cameras, live-cut option, same-day teaser |
Deliverable: a 60–120s highlight reel plus raw archive. Timeline: highlight in 3–10 days; a teaser can land same day.
Music video: AED 11,000–220,000+
The widest band on this list, and honestly so. A single-location performance video for an independent artist and a multi-location narrative video with a name director are barely the same product.
| Tier | Price (AED) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 11,000–37,000 | 1 location, 1 day, compact crew |
| Professional | 55,000–120,000 | Multi-location, art direction, dancers/talent |
| Cinematic | 120,000–220,000+ | Full film crew, VFX, name talent, heavy post |
Deliverable: master edit plus performance and social versions. Timeline: 3–8 weeks depending on concept and post.
Real-estate walkthrough: AED 2,500–5,500
A property tour that combines interior gimbal walkthrough, drone exteriors and an agent-to-camera cut. Off-plan and developer work priced separately — that leans on CGI and 3D product animation territory for pre-build visualisation.
| Scope | Price (AED) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 2,500–3,500 | Interior walkthrough, basic edit |
| With drone | 3,500–4,500 | Interior + aerial exterior, agent cut |
| Premium listing | 4,500–5,500 | Full package, drone, agent, social cutdowns |
Deliverable: walkthrough master plus social and portrait versions. Timeline: 1–2 weeks. Drone adds a permit layer — covered further down.
TV commercial (TVC): AED 30,000–150,000+
Broadcast-grade production: agency-standard pre-production, director, full crew, casting, cinema package, and post built to broadcast delivery specs. Usage rights and media buyout can add materially on top of the production number.
| Tier | Price (AED) | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Regional TVC | 30,000–60,000 | 1–2 day shoot, controlled locations |
| National | 60,000–100,000 | Cast, multiple setups, VFX, licensed track |
| Flagship | 100,000–150,000+ | Name talent, buyout, heavy VFX, multi-market versions |
Deliverable: broadcast master plus regional and digital versions. Timeline: 6–12 weeks.
CGI, 3D & product animation costs (priced per finished minute)
CGI and 3D animation are priced per finished minute (from ~AED 1,800), not per shoot day — because there is no shoot day. The cost sits in modelling, texturing, lighting and render time, and a single polished minute can carry weeks of work. A «cheap» per-minute rate usually means simpler assets or fewer render passes, not a discount on the same thing.
| Type | Price (AED) | Priced as |
|---|---|---|
| 2D motion graphics | 800–1,500 / finished min | Per minute |
| Character 2D animation | 1,800–3,500 / finished min | Per minute |
| 3D architectural animation | 1,800–4,000 / finished min | Per minute |
| CGI product (hero) | 8,000–100,000+ | Per project |
Why per finished minute and not per shoot day: with live action, a shoot day produces footage you then cut down. With CGI, every second on screen is built and rendered from nothing — a 90-second explainer might need 90 seconds of animation but weeks of asset creation. Complexity per second, not hours on set, drives the number. This is the SL Media differentiator: our full CGI and 3D product animation pipeline runs in-house, so a product model built once can feed stills, 360 spins, hero films and social cutdowns without a new shoot each time.
AI video production cost in Dubai (2026)
AI video production in Dubai ranges AED 3,000–45,000 in 2026. The floor buys AI-generated short-form or localisation (swapping VO into Arabic, generating social variants). The ceiling buys AI woven into a full production — generated environments, AI-assisted VFX, upscaling and heavy post — where AI cuts time rather than replacing the crew.
| Use case | Price (AED) | Where AI beats traditional |
|---|---|---|
| AI social variants / localisation | 3,000–8,000 | Speed, volume, EN/AR versions |
| AI-assisted brand spot | 8,000–20,000 | Concept visuals, environments, faster post |
| AI + live-action hybrid | 20,000–45,000 | Scale, impossible shots, tight deadlines |
Where AI is cheaper: producing many variants of a concept, generating backgrounds or B-roll that would need a location, and speeding up rotoscoping, upscaling and denoise in post. Where it isn’t the answer: anything demanding exact brand accuracy, real product texture, or a human performance that has to feel true — that still wants a shoot or CGI production. We treat AI as a tool inside the pipeline, not a replacement for it. See our full approach on AI video production.
Crew day rates in Dubai
When you hire a production company, crew rates are baked into the project price. But knowing them tells you why a two-camera cinematic day costs what it does — and lets you read a line-item quote properly.
| Role | Day rate (AED) |
|---|---|
| Director of Photography (DP) | 2,500–10,000 |
| Camera operator | 1,500–3,000 |
| Drone operator | 6,000–8,000 |
| Gaffer | 1,500–2,000 |
| Sound recordist | 1,800–3,000 |
| Producer | 2,000–4,000 |
| Production assistant (PA) | 800–1,100 |
The DP spread is wide because it covers a solid operator through to a cinematographer who shapes the entire look. On a modest corporate shoot you might run a DP, a sound recordist and a PA. A cinematic day adds a gaffer, a grip and a second camera — which is exactly why the tier jumps.
Post-production costs
Post is where a good shoot becomes a good video — and where thin quotes get thin. Remember the 60/40 rule: about 40% of a healthy budget lives here.
| Task | Price (AED) |
|---|---|
| Basic edit | 2,000–10,000 |
| Colour grade | 1,000–3,000 |
| Advanced edit / VFX | 5,000–25,000+ |
| Voiceover (English) | 500–8,000 |
| Voiceover (Arabic) | 950–3,000 |
An offline edit (the story) comes first, then the online (finishing), then colour grade and sound. The VFX line covers cleanup, sky replacement, set extension and compositing — work that often saves money on set by fixing things in post instead of reshooting. Arabic VO and a bilingual subtitle pass are near-essential in this market; budget for them at brief stage, not as a late surprise.
What changes your quote (and how to cut it)
The single biggest lever is batching. Batching several videos into one shoot day can cut per-video cost by 40–50% — because crew call, lighting setup, location and gear are fixed costs whether you shoot one video or eight. A day that produces one hero film can, with planning, also produce 15–25 social cutdowns from the same setups.
Factors that move a quote up:
— Shoot days and crew size — the two biggest multipliers.
— Rush vs lead time — a compressed timeline typically adds +50–100% in rush fees for overtime and reshuffled crew.
— Talent, locations and permits — casting and premium locations add fast.
— Usage rights / buyout — broadcast and long-term usage cost more than organic social.
— Revision rounds — most quotes include 2–3; beyond that is billable.
Factors that cut it: batch shoots, plan the Arabic version up front (cheaper as one pass than a later add-on), give a clear brief so pre-production is efficient, and book with lead time to dodge rush fees. Send a tight brief and request a tailored quote — a clear brief is the cheapest cost saving there is.
Dubai filming permits & hidden costs
Some costs never appear in a shiny headline rate. Permits are the obvious one, and a UAE-licensed production company handles them for you.
The DFTC application fee is AED 520; a public-location permit is around AED 2,520. Private-location fees range from AED 0 to 25,000 per day depending on the venue. Drone filming needs separate DCAA and GCAA clearance on top.
| Item | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| DFTC application | 520 |
| Public-location permit | ~2,520 |
| Private location | 0–25,000 / day |
| Drone clearance | Separate (DCAA/GCAA) |
Other line items that catch brands out:
— Arabic version — usually an add-on unless scoped in from the start.
— Raw footage ownership — check whether you own the raw footage or only the final cut.
— Revision limit — most quotes include 2–3 rounds; confirm it in writing.
— Music sync licences — a licensed track costs more than a stock cue; buyout for broadcast more again.
Timeline by budget
Budget and timeline move together. A bigger budget usually means more shoot days, more locations and heavier post — all of which take time.
| Budget (AED) | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| 10,000–20,000 | 2–3 weeks |
| 25,000–50,000 | 4–6 weeks |
| 60,000+ | 8–12 weeks |
If you have a hard air date, work backwards from it at brief stage. The most expensive line in any project is the rush fee you pay for planning late.
Freelancer vs production company: what you’re really paying for
A freelance videographer can shoot a clean single-camera piece for less, and for a straightforward reel that’s the right call. A production company costs more because you’re paying for a crew, backup gear, insurance, permit handling, a proper post pipeline and a single point of accountability if something goes wrong on the day.
The honest split: freelancer for simple, low-risk, single-setup work; production company when the shoot has multiple moving parts, brand stakes, tight compliance, or a deliverable set (master plus cutdowns plus Arabic version) that needs a real post team. Pay for the level of risk the project actually carries — no more.
How SL Media prices video (transparent approach)
We price from the brief, not from a fixed menu. You tell us the type, the deliverables, the aspect ratios you need and the deadline; we scope the crew, shoot days and post against the ranges above and send a number — usually within about 15 minutes. Batching, the Arabic version, raw footage ownership and revision rounds are spelled out on the quote, not buried.
Because video, CGI production and AI video all run in-house, we can put the cheapest right tool on your brief — a shoot, a render, or a hybrid — instead of forcing one method. Send your brief and request a tailored quote. If you want the wider pricing logic first, our 2026 video production cost overview sets the context this page breaks down by type.
FAQ
How much does video production cost in Dubai in 2026?
Video production in Dubai typically costs AED 5,000–50,000. A standard 1–3 minute corporate video averages AED 10,000–30,000, a social reel runs AED 1,500–8,000, and a cinematic brand film or TVC starts around AED 25,000–30,000 and climbs past AED 100,000.
How much does a corporate video cost in Dubai?
A 1–3 minute corporate video costs AED 6,000–30,000. A single-location, single-day piece sits at the lower end; multi-location, scripted, motion-graphics and an Arabic version push it toward the top.
How much does a product or e-commerce video cost?
A product packshot video costs AED 800–1,500 per product, priced in volume. A concept-led hero product film costs AED 5,000–30,000. For scaling catalogues or launches before stock lands, CGI product animation is often cheaper than repeat shoots.
How much does CGI or 3D animation cost per minute?
CGI and 3D animation are priced per finished minute, not per shoot day, starting from around AED 1,800 per minute for 3D and AED 800 for 2D motion graphics. Complex CGI product films run AED 8,000–100,000+ per project.
How much does AI video production cost in Dubai?
AI video production ranges AED 3,000–45,000 in 2026. The lower band buys AI social variants and EN/AR localisation; the higher band buys AI woven into a full production with generated environments and AI-assisted post.
How much does video editing cost per minute in Dubai?
A basic edit runs AED 2,000–10,000 depending on length and complexity, with colour grade at AED 1,000–3,000 and advanced VFX work from AED 5,000 to 25,000+. Post typically accounts for about 40% of a total video budget.
Do I need a filming permit in Dubai and how much is it?
Most commercial shoots need a permit. The DFTC application fee is AED 520 and a public-location permit is around AED 2,520; private locations range AED 0–25,000 per day, and drone filming needs separate DCAA/GCAA clearance. A UAE-licensed production company arranges these for you.
How can I reduce video production costs?
Batch several videos into one shoot day to cut per-video cost by 40–50%, plan the Arabic version up front rather than as a late add-on, give a clear brief so pre-production runs lean, and book with lead time to avoid rush fees of +50–100%.
Written by Artur Gall, CEO of SL Media, producing video, photography, CGI and AI content in Dubai.