Abu Dhabi
twofour54: real costs, licences and review
Abu Dhabi's media zone, with real production incentives.
FromAED 15,000
Typical, 1 visaAED 30,000
Timeline7–20 days
Our rating8.1/10
Our view
Named after Abu Dhabi's geographic coordinates, twofour54 licenses media, film, gaming and content businesses and backs them with one of the region's more generous production rebate schemes. For a production company actually filming in the UAE, that rebate can outweigh every licensing consideration.
It is also cheaper than Dubai Media City for a comparable media licence.
Key facts
| Emirate | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 15,000 |
| Typical cost (1 visa) | AED 30,000 |
| Issuance time | 7–20 working days |
| Visa quota | Unlimited (with office) |
| Flexi-desk | Yes |
| Remote setup | Yes |
| Licence types | Media, Professional / service |
| Established | 2008 |
Official source: www.twofour54.com
Honestly
What works
- Production rebate scheme
- Cheaper than Dubai Media City
- Remote incorporation allowed
- Strong gaming and content focus
What doesn't
- Abu Dhabi location
- Media activities only
- Smaller agency cluster than Dubai
- Rebate requires genuine local spend
Who this suits
- Film and TV production
- Gaming studios
- Content and publishing
- Post-production
Let's talk about your actual case
A twenty-minute call. We will also tell you if the UAE is the wrong answer for you — it often is.