Abu Dhabi attracts film and TV productions with a 50% cashback incentive

The Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC), part Abu Dhabi's Creative Media Authority (CMA), has announced multi-layered enhancements for its long-established film and TV production rebate offer.

The new guidelines will see international, regional and local production companies afforded up to a 50 percent total cashback rebate, based on a clear set of criteria and sliding-scale points system, according to the Emirates News Agency.

With a baseline increase from 30% to 35% announced in October this year, the new rebate, available for all qualifying productions from 1st January 2025, will offer expanded qualifying formats, increased financial project caps and a streamlined and improved process designed to grow, strengthen and attract strategic investment into the film and TV production industry in Abu Dhabi, reported WAM.

Focus on Emirati talent and heritage

The guidelines also prioritize the use of Emirati actors and Emirati production talent, including directors, writers, and other film-related roles, which will receive additional financial support. Further assistance will be awarded to producers who create content reflecting Emirati heritage, culture, and ethos.

Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director-General of CMA, said, "We have carefully curated several levels of changes to the rebate, which will continue to fuel global and regional interest in Abu Dhabi and contribute to the entire creative ecosystem. At the heart of the new guidelines are measures which will safeguard the rich legacy of Emirati culture as well as providing increasing opportunities for our valued champions of film and TV including actors, directors, writers, stunt coordinators and many more."

He added, "From a local perspective, the impact of the rebate on our economy is significant, with independently verified research showing that, for every dirham paid through one of the fastest payouts processes across the industry, more than three dirhams flows back into the economy through hosting large scale productions in the emirate."

Points-based uplift and expanded production formats

ADFC's enhanced rebate will offer an additional uplift opportunity on top of the new 35% baseline with the potential to gain a maximum of 50% total rebate on in-market production and post-production costs, through meeting new criteria and seeking ADFC's full and absolute approval.

The uplift has a points-based system where productions scoring between 10 to 14 points gain a 2.5% uplift, in addition to the baseline of 35% , through to a 15% uplift on the baseline for productions scoring 85 points or above.

There are extensive ways in which production companies can score additional points, including featuring the UAE's national history, culture and identity in content; carrying out full post-production activity in Abu Dhabi; main unit production in Abu Dhabi of a feature film; creating content which utilises local Emirati talent and/or filming an entire TV series in the emirate.

From 1st January 2025, the rebate will also be available for additional production formats, including reality TV, game shows, short films and animations. The expansion of formats aims to bolster the existing formats of feature films, TV series, programmes, and TV commercials, which have been supported since the introduction of the rebate in 2013.

The rebate initiative aims to also increase the caps on the total financial assistance production companies from Hollywood, Bollywood, and the Arab region. Qualifying feature films, for example, will see Abu Dhabi Qualifying Production Expenditure (ADQPE) increase from US$5 million to US$10 million.

Studies show that visiting production teams significantly contribute to the local economy through transport, logistics and accommodation.

Streamlined process and economic impact

The final layer of enhancement to the rebate is the streamlining and tightening of projected timelines for the rebate process itself. The interim certificate validity has increased from 60 days to 90 days, giving production teams an additional 30 days to start principal photography in Abu Dhabi, with an additional discretionary 120 days.

From the point the final certificate is issued towards the end of the rebate process, producers now will see paid funds in 30 business days - which was previously 60 business days.

Sameer Al Jaberi, Head of ADFC, said, "The reception of our initial baseline increase in October was extremely positive and the team has since seen an exciting surge of interest from across the world, which will no doubt surge again with these additional layers of detail we're announcing now. Coupled with the financial stimulus into the economy, visiting productions also support talent across the board – from youth talent who gain access to some world-class learning and training opportunities, to established talent, including freelancers who are regularly employed on visiting sets."

Bilal Dayani, Chief Operating Officer at Eagle Films Media Production, said, "We have reaped the various levels of benefit from Abu Dhabi's cashback rebate since its launch and also benefited from all the facilities provided by the emirate and ADFC. This update will encourage us to produce a larger number of projects in Abu Dhabi in future. I believe that the new incentive programme will attract more production work across all levels and countries, particularly with the simplified and streamlined application and payout process."

Fuelling Abu Dhabi's already extensive ecosystem, a significantly enhanced rebate financially benefits more than 800 locally-based media companies (more than 300 of whom are production-specific), the 1,000-strong freelancer talent pool, young individuals looking for training and internship opportunities and the new golden visa programme.