Filming in Abu Dhabi: How to turn any location into a shoot-ready set

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Filming on location brings depth and authenticity to movies, tv shows and commercials, and provides producers with organic lighting and textures, access to unique natural environments and constant creative inspiration. However, it also requires great preparation and planning, including time consuming tasks such as relocating cast, crew, equipment, sets, dressing rooms and green rooms.

For this reason, twofour54 offers a wide range of services and facilities that are all designed to help filmmakers and production companies turn every corner of Abu Dhabi into powerful, impactful and accessible movie filming locations.

From handling complex permits and casting needs to building elaborate sets for celebrated TV dramas and supporting the planning of Hollywood hits, twofour54 continues to act as a reliable partner to filmmakers and creators from around the globe. Offering everything from pre-production support to on-set operations, it makes filming on location in Abu Dhabi a seamless and enriching experience.

The star of global stories

Offering a unique mix of striking modern skyscrapers, white sandy beaches, lush mangrove forests, authentic Arabian towns and of course enormous uninterrupted expanses of towering sand dunes, along with state-of-the-art production facilities such as twofour54’s 300,000 sq.m backlot with five standing sets, multiple studios and portable podcast studio Pod24, Abu Dhabi is a growing film production destination and the perfect place to produce epic dramas, action movies and powerful cinematic masterpieces.

Allowing filmmakers create a wide range of different worlds with ease, and treat viewers to spectacular immersive stories that spark the imagination and leave a lasting impression, some of the most exciting Hollywood and Bollywood films and TV dramas that have been shot in Abu Dhabi include:

Dune Part 2

Filmed in the golden dunes of the Liwa Desert, twofour54's tawasol team was involved in obtaining the necessary permits that the production team needed in order to film in Abu Dhabi.

HOBA

Twofour54’s backlot in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi, was one of the filming locations used in the terrifying horror movie HOBA, created by critically acclaimed Emirati filmmaker Majid Al Ansari.

F1: The Movie

One of the filming locations for the adrenaline-fuelled movie was twofour54’s 'Studios at Yas Creative Hub'.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

twofour54 supported the Jupiter Spring Productions Limited project by providing business setup assistance with obtaining visas, filming permits, and government approvals, and by organising medical services, air tickets, hotel accommodation, car hire, and cargo services. twofour54’s backlot (in particular the ‘War-Torn City’ set) also appeared in the finished cut.

Introducing Abu Dhabi’s filming locations to the world

Abu Dhabi is actively transforming into a premier destination for global film and television productions, and twofour54 is doing all it can to support this shift.

Teams who are considering using Abu Dhabi for their upcoming films are invited to utilise the following:

Streamlined logistical services: The twofour54 team offers end-to-end support with obtaining licensing and legal documentation, script approvals, location scouting and more. The team harnesses their local knowledge, connections and experience to speed up each process, and advise each production company about the paperwork and authorisations they need. This ensures that nothing causes delays when filming on location in Abu Dhabi, and ensures that every project is a tremendous success.

Production studios: twofour54’s Production studios are integrated with the latest production technologies and equipment on the market. Completed with full-production galleries, soundproof walls, green rooms, adjustable lighting rigs and loading bays, they are ready made for creating movies, TV shows, commercials, branded content, and digital shoots. The controlled indoor setup ensures that the lighting, sound, and production conditions are always consistent, while the location within Yas Creative Hub also provides easy access to the rest of Abu Dhabi’s creative media ecosystem.

Support services: Companies who film in Abu Dhabi can also turn to twofour54 for support with planning and orchestrating every stage of the production process. This includes everything from assistance with selecting the perfect filming location or studio, to setting up each selected space with the exact facilities, amenities and equipment needed for the production. This saves production companies the time, expense and hassle of transporting equipment and building sets by themselves.

300,000sqm backlot: Offering five standing sets, over 219,000+ sq.m of open land, production office spaces, seven production studios and onsite facilities such as costume, makeup and dressing rooms and a large canteen, the twofour54 backlot lets film makers seamlessly and quickly switch between various realistic and fully immersive worlds, and enjoy access to all the equipment and facilities they need out in the midst of Abu Dhabi’s golden dessert.

Offering multiple filming locations in one place, the backlot’s realistic sets include:

The Crossroads- An immersive city scene that has been used to represent Iraq, Rome, Afghanistan and Paris.
The Souq- A vibrant bustling souq inspired by the architecture of old Damascus.
The Landmark- Reflecting the traditional traits of Arabic architecture, the meticulously designed set offers two floors of versatile space for compelling scenes.
War-Torn City- A haunting and eerie depiction of a city under conflict.
Arabian neighbourhood- A nostalgic set featuring villas, a mosque and a main street.