Drone filming in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Cinema drone, FPV and helicopter crews across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh since 2005. A fleet of 40+ drones, with every permit handled in-house.
Showreel from across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Watch more videos →Services
Aerial filming services
One team plans the shot, clears the airspace and flies it. Approvals, safety and camera work stay under one roof, which is what keeps complex shoots on schedule.
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Drone and FPV filming
Cinema drones for wide, controlled establishing shots. FPV rigs for fast tracking through towers, desert and crowds at speeds above 140 km/h. Cinewhoop setups for safe indoor flying.
Kit DJI Inspire 3 · heavy-lift FPV with cinema payloads · cinewhoop
Drone filming → -
Helicopter filming
For long flights, heavy cinema payloads and altitudes a drone can't reach. We source the aircraft, plan the routes, secure landing zone permits and coordinate refuelling.
Kit Shotover B1 gimbal with RED KOMODO · single and twin-engine aircraft
Helicopter filming → -
Photogrammetry and survey
Aerial mapping and 3D capture for construction, real estate and site monitoring, flown by the same licensed crews.
Output orthomosaic maps · 3D models · point clouds
Survey services → -
Filming permits only
Bringing your own crew? We prepare and submit the drone and location approvals so your team can fly legally on the day.
Authorities GCAA · DCAA · DFTC · ADAC · MOD
Permit service →
Selected work
Shoots most crews can't get approved
Clients include Emirates, BBC, CNN, Emaar, Armin van Buuren and David Guetta. Two projects that show how we plan, clear and fly the difficult shots.
Live broadcast · Burj Khalifa
Armin van Buuren on the Burj Khalifa
Eleven drone teams flew at 2,800 ft while a camera helicopter held 8,000 ft, all inside restricted Downtown Dubai airspace. We secured the high-altitude approvals, ran the airspace deconfliction and delivered multi-angle footage for a worldwide stream.
- Drone teams
- 11
- Helicopter
- 1 at 8,000 ft
- Drone altitude
- 2,800 ft
- Approvals
- DCAA · DFTC · MOD
Advertising · Burj Khalifa
The Emirates ad at the top of the Burj Khalifa
Filmed at 828 m with a single drone and no CGI. Two months of risk assessment, safety planning and multi-agency approvals went into a few minutes of flight. The ad became one of the most shared campaigns of its year.
- Height
- 828 m
- Planning
- 2 months
More from the logbook
How it works
How a shoot comes together
Brief and recce
Week one
We review the location, shots and airspace, then recommend drone, FPV, helicopter or a mix.
Permits
Typically 14–16 working days
Our team files with the aviation, media and security authorities, and gets property NOCs where needed.
Flight day
On location
Safety briefing, live drone tracking and a risk-assessed flight plan, with the crew that planned it.
Delivery
After the shoot
Footage in the formats and codecs your edit or broadcast team needs.
Permits
Drone filming permits in the UAE
The questions production teams ask us most. Rules change, so we confirm the current process for your dates and location before you commit.
- How long does a drone filming permit take in the UAE?
- A standard commercial drone permit in Dubai usually takes 14 to 16 working days once the paperwork is complete, and 18 to 20 working days in Abu Dhabi. Start at least four weeks before the shoot, and earlier for restricted or high-profile locations. In special cases, such as government projects or major events, permits can be expedited.
- Which authorities approve drone filming in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
- In Dubai, approvals come from the GCAA, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC) and the Ministry of Defence. In Abu Dhabi, the GCAA, Abu Dhabi Airports (ADAC), the media authority and the Ministry of Defence coordinate approvals.
- Can you film near restricted or sensitive areas?
- Yes, with specialist clearance. These flights go through additional Ministry of Defence review and may need a NOTAM to alert other airspace users. We prepare and submit these applications.
- Do I need permission to fly over private property?
- Yes. Any flight that takes off from or passes over private land needs a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the owner or developer, such as Emaar or Nakheel. We coordinate these for you.
- Is night drone filming allowed in the UAE?
- Yes, if the DCAA and GCAA approve a risk assessment for the night flight before the shoot. We prepare that assessment as part of the permit application.
- Do you handle permits in Saudi Arabia?
- Yes. Our Riyadh team manages aviation and location approvals for shoots across the Kingdom.
Offices
Start a brief
Tell us the date, the location and the shot
We reply with a crew recommendation, a permit timeline and a quote.