Film and television productions in Abu Dhabi can receive up to 50 per cent cashback if they meet a newly revealed list of criteria. These include highlighting the UAE’s culture and history within the production and hiring Emiratis in above-the-line cast and crew roles.
The Abu Dhabi Film Commission revealed its enhanced rebate system in October, announcing that they will be increasing the subsidy on productions in the emirate from 30 to a minimum of 35 per cent.
The rebate rise, effective from January 1, comes 11 years after the incentive programme was launched. It aims to attract more Hollywood, Bollywood and regional productions to the UAE capital.
However, there was still speculation as to how productions can avail rebates beyond the baseline 35 per cent. The commission has now revealed a points system, which will determine the cashback amount available to productions.
“We listened to the feedback from producers and also from our leadership on how we can enhance the rebate programme so it increases the amount of benefits mutually,” Sameer Al Jaberi, head of Abu Dhabi Film Commission, says. “We wanted to create a win-win situation for the producers, for the filmmakers, as well as for us as a jurisdiction in Abu Dhabi.”
A large portion of the points system is dedicated to highlighting the emirate of Abu Dhabi as well as its creative potential. Productions that feature Abu Dhabi gain 20 points and those that highlight UAE history and culture gain 10 points. Productions that carry out their post-production activity in the emirate gain an additional 10 points. Meanwhile, a television series or programme filmed entirely in Abu Dhabi gains 20 points. Productions can also earn another 20 points if they employ Emiratis in specific above-the-line positions, such as writer, director, stunt co-ordinator, stunt performer or lead cast.
Furthermore, feature films can receive one point for each day of main unit filming in Abu Dhabi for a maximum of 60 points. Productions invited by the commission to provide marketing content can also get a maximum of 30 points.
But what do all these points get?
Productions that accrue 10 to 14 points increase their total rebate to 37.5 per cent. Those that collect 15 to 39 points uplift by an additional 2.5 per cent. Gathering 40 to 69 points or 70 to 84 points will be rewarded with 42.5 and 45 per cent rebates respectively. Finally, productions with 85 points and above will have a total rebate of 50 per cent.
The enhanced rebate system is also increasing the caps on the total financial assistance from $5 million to $10 million. The move places the system among the world’s most competitive rebate programmes, which includes Ireland, Romania and British Columbia in Canada. However, while the financial incentive is alluring, Abu Dhabi has other things to offer, Al Jaberi says.
“There is a great amount of interest from regional and international producers,” Al Jaberi says. “Obviously, the rebate, from a financial perspective, is extremely important, but it’s also the infrastructure. It's the crew base, it's the proximity. For example, we're only three hours away from India. A production could be on set filming, and they realise that they need someone specific to just make the call, and the person is on set within three hours, so it's a package.”
The criteria for added incentives will also encourage international productions to tap into the local creative pool. More than 170 major projects have been filmed in Abu Dhabi since the initial incentive programme began in 2013, including Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), Furious 7 (2015) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Those productions have helped develop both the physical infrastructure needed for filming large-scale productions and the local talent that is now able to assist.
“We’ve been nurturing talents for years now,” Khalid Khouri, industry development director at the Creative Media Authority, Abu Dhabi, says. “We're going to see these talents eventually being hired in these productions after all these years of experience.”
“We had around 170 projects over the past 10 years,” Khouri says, adding that they’ve now expanded the list of productions that can benefit from the rebate programme. “We've added more formats, for example, short films, animations, reality shows, game shows. We will see a major increase in productions.”
The enhanced rebate scheme is also rolling out a few months ahead of the opening of twofour54 Studios, a sprawling complex that will include soundstages, an exterior water tank and six standing sets.
Those facilities will complement the existing ecosystem, which consists of 800 locally-based media companies, 300 of which focus on production, and a freelancer talent pool of more than 1,000 people. There is also an increasing crop of prospective interns; a golden visa programme focused on film; and locations such as the Liwa desert and Louvre Abu Dhabi, which have been utilised by Bollywood productions like Bharat and Tiger Zinda Hai and Hollywood films such as 6 Underground.
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SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
