A weak script costs more than a good writer. It costs shoot days, reshoots and edit time. This guide covers 2026 script rates in the UAE, how Arabic and English versions really work, the approval timeline that decides your shoot date, and who owns the pages you paid for.
Short answer
Hiring a scriptwriter in Dubai costs around 500 to 1,500 AED for a short social video script. A corporate or explainer script is usually 1,500 to 5,000 AED. A commercial script with a full creative concept runs 3,000 to 10,000 AED. Short film scripts start near 5,000 AED and feature screenplays begin around 40,000 AED. Most writers deliver a first draft within one to three weeks.
What to know fast
- Social or short form script: 500 to 1,500 AED.
- Corporate or explainer video script: 1,500 to 5,000 AED.
- Commercial script with concept: 3,000 to 10,000 AED.
- Production companies often list scripting as a line item of 3,000 to 10,000 AED.
- Arabic is not a translation job. Budget for a separate adaptation.
- For films, TV series and documentaries, the Dubai Film and TV Commission must approve the script before you can apply for a filming permit.
- Script approval can take up to 25 business days, and the script cannot be changed once submitted.
- Under UAE law, a writer keeps every right not transferred in writing.
Price your script in 30 seconds
Pick four things. You will get a market range, a realistic turnaround, and a brief you can send to writers in one tap.
What a scriptwriter actually delivers
People think they are buying words. They are buying decisions.
A script decides how many locations you shoot. It decides how many actors you cast. It decides whether the edit takes three days or ten. Every one of those is a cost.
A good writer in this market gives you four things.
- A shape. A beginning, a turn and an ending that lands. Most weak brand films have no turn at all.
- A shootable page. Scenes that can actually be filmed on your budget, not a wish list.
- Words for the ear. Dialogue and voice over that sound natural when spoken aloud, not when read.
- A timing. Pages that run to length. A 60 second ad has room for about 130 words of voice over, not 200.
That last point saves more money than anything else. Writing long is the most common and most expensive mistake in corporate video.
How much a scriptwriter costs in Dubai
Rates vary widely. A junior copywriter and a produced screenwriter are not the same hire, and the gap shows on screen.
Social or short form
500 to 1,500 AED15 to 60 seconds. Reels, TikTok, YouTube shorts and ad variants.
Corporate or explainer
1,500 to 5,000 AEDOne to three minutes. Brand films, product explainers, internal video.
Commercial with concept
3,000 to 10,000 AEDIdea plus script. This is the standard line item in production quotes.
Three creative routes
8,000 to 20,000 AEDThree different ideas presented, then one developed into a full script.
Short film
5,000 to 20,000 AED10 to 20 minutes. Festival work, proof of concept, branded shorts.
Feature screenplay
40,000 AED and up90 to 120 pages, usually paid in stages across several months.
Series episode
8,000 to 30,000 AEDPer episode, often with a separate fee for the series outline.
Polish or script doctoring
2,000 to 8,000 AEDFixing an existing draft. Often charged per pass or by the hour.
Treat these as market ranges, not fixed quotes. Freelance copywriters in the UAE commonly charge 150 to 450 AED an hour, and many writers quote project fees built on that.
What changes the price
- Concept work. Writing to a locked idea is cheaper than inventing the idea.
- Number of routes. Three ideas take three times the thinking.
- Revisions. Two rounds is standard. Open ended changes should never be free.
- Research. Technical, medical or financial subjects take longer.
- Language. A proper Arabic version is a second piece of writing.
- Speed. A 48 hour turnaround usually carries a rush premium.
- Rights. Full ownership costs more than a licence for one campaign.
- Credit. Ghostwriting without credit is sometimes priced higher.
Watch the revision clause
Most disputes start here. Agree the number of rounds, what counts as a round, and the price per extra round. Write it into the quote before work begins.
Need a writer who knows this market?
Send your format, running time, language and deadline. You will get writers who have delivered for UAE brands and productions, not generic content mills.
Browse scriptwritersTypes of script work
| Format | Typical length | What it needs from the writer |
|---|---|---|
| Social video | 15 to 60 seconds | A hook in the first two seconds and one clear message |
| Commercial | 30 to 90 seconds | An idea that works with no dialogue if needed |
| Corporate film | 1 to 3 minutes | Turning a company message into a human story |
| Explainer | 60 to 120 seconds | Making something complicated simple and short |
| Documentary | Varies | Structure, interview questions and narration |
| Short film | 5 to 20 minutes | Full screenplay format and character work |
| Feature | 90 to 120 pages | Long structure, several drafts, months of work |
| Series | Per episode | Series outline, episode arcs and continuity |
| Script doctoring | Any | Diagnosing why a draft is not working and fixing it |
Two formats are worth calling out for this market. Branded short films are growing fast in the UAE, because they let a brand tell a real story rather than run an ad. And explainer scripts are the highest volume paid work here, since almost every company needs one.
Arabic and English scripts
This is where most projects go wrong, and the fix is simple once you understand it.
A translated script is not an Arabic script. Translation moves the words. It does not move the joke, the rhythm or the cultural reference. Read aloud, a translated ad usually sounds flat.
What you want is adaptation. A writer takes the idea, not the sentences, and rebuilds it in the second language. In the industry this is often called transcreation.
Practical points
- Budget for two pieces of writing. Expect roughly 40 to 70 percent of the original fee for a proper adaptation.
- Decide the dialect. Modern Standard Arabic reads formal and works across the region. Khaleeji, Egyptian and Levantine each sound local to a different audience.
- Watch the length. Arabic voice over often runs longer than English for the same meaning. Write to time, not to word count.
- Plan on screen text early. Arabic reads right to left, which affects layout, titles and subtitles.
- Cast the voice with the script. The writer and the voice talent who will record the narration should be matched to the same tone.
One more point for film work. If your production is Arabic, the authorities expect the full script in Arabic. That is not something to sort out at the end.
Your script is a permit document
This is the section that changes how you plan a shoot in Dubai, and almost nobody writes about it.
For films, TV series and documentaries, the Dubai Film and TV Commission must approve your script before you can even apply for a filming permit. Not after. Before.
What the rules actually say
- Script approval is required before a filming permit application for scripted films, TV series and documentaries.
- Arabic productions submit the full script in Arabic. All other productions submit full scripts in English.
- The entire script must be submitted, even if only one sequence or one song is filmed in Dubai.
- Script approval can take up to 25 business days. The UAE working week is Sunday to Thursday.
- Once submitted, the script cannot be changed. You can cancel the request, but you cannot edit it.
- The Commission treats every script as confidential.
- To apply for a permit you need a valid UAE production trade licence, or a licensed local production company applying on your behalf.
Read that timeline again. Up to 25 business days is roughly five working weeks. Add the permit application on top.
So your real deadline is not the shoot date. It is the date the script must be locked. That can be five to seven weeks earlier. A writer who knows this builds your schedule backwards from it. A writer who does not will hand you pages two weeks before a shoot you can no longer legally do.
Commercials and corporate shoots follow a lighter path. You still need a permit for public filming. You still submit a script or a synopsis with the application. But the long approval process applies to scripted films, series and documentaries.
Current forms and terms are published by the Dubai Film and TV Commission, and rules do change, so confirm before you plan around them.
Writing within UAE content rules
Every market has content standards. The UAE is clearer than most about what they are, which actually makes writing easier.
A writer who works here will already be thinking about a few things while drafting, rather than fixing them later.
- Religion. Respectful treatment is expected. This is not a place for casual jokes about faith.
- Public figures and the state. Handle with care, and never invent quotes.
- Intimacy and language. Keep it within what the platform and the market allow.
- Alcohol and gambling. Rules differ by emirate and by platform. Ask before writing a scene around them.
- Showing real places. Landmarks, government buildings and private venues may need their own approvals.
- Medical and financial claims. Anything you state about a product must be supportable.
None of this limits good writing. It just means the conversation happens at the brief stage. That is far cheaper than having it at the approval stage.
Who owns the script
Most clients assume that paying for a script means owning it. In the UAE, that is only true if you write it down.
Copyright here sits under Federal Decree Law No. 38 of 2021. It came into force in January 2022. A few points matter for anyone paying for a script.
The rules in plain language
- Protection is automatic from the moment the work is created. Registration is not required.
- Protection lasts for the author's lifetime plus 50 years.
- Economic rights can be transferred, but only in writing. The document must name the right, the purpose, the duration and the place of use.
- The author keeps every right that was not expressly assigned.
- Moral rights stay with the author. They cannot be assigned, and they do not expire.
- Registration with the Ministry of Economy is optional and low cost, but confirm the current fee before paying.
That fourth point is the one that catches people. A vague line saying the client owns the work is weak. You need a clear clause. It should name the media, the territory, the duration and the purpose.
Moral rights are worth knowing about too. They cover the right to be named as author. They also cover the right to object to changes that damage the work. They sit alongside your ownership rather than cancelling it. So agree credit early.
This guide is general information and not legal advice. For a feature, a series or anything with long commercial life, have a UAE lawyer draft the agreement.
How to brief a writer
A good brief is one page. A bad brief is a phone call and a logo.
Put these in the brief
- What the video is for, in one sentence.
- Who watches it, and where they watch it.
- The one thing they should think or do afterwards.
- Exact running time.
- Language or languages needed.
- Budget range for production, so scenes stay affordable.
- Locations, cast and props already confirmed.
- Anything that must appear, such as a tagline or product shot.
- Two or three reference films you like, and why.
- Who signs off, and by when.
That last line prevents more delays than any other. A script with four people approving it and no named decision maker will go around in circles.
Give the production budget honestly. A writer who knows you have one location will not write six. Also casting? Our guides to what on camera talent costs per shoot day and how actors work in this market help you set that number.
How the draft process works
- Brief and callYou send the brief. A short call clears up questions. Good writers ask more questions than you expect.
- Treatment or outlineA short document showing the idea and the shape before full writing begins. This is the cheapest place to change direction.
- First draftUsually one to three weeks depending on format. For a feature, four to eight weeks is normal.
- FeedbackCollect notes from everyone first, then send once. Sending three people's notes separately doubles the work.
- Second draftThe main revision. This is where most scripts become good.
- Polish and lockSmall fixes, timing pass, then the script is locked. For film and TV work in Dubai, lock happens before the approval submission.
Pay in stages. A common split is 50 percent to start and 50 percent on the final draft. For features, payments are usually tied to treatment, first draft and final draft.
Questions to ask before you hire
Hiring checklist
- Can you send two produced scripts with links to the finished films?
- Have you written for UAE or GCC audiences before?
- Do you write in Arabic, or do you work with an adapter?
- What is your fee, and what exactly does it include?
- How many revision rounds are included, and what does an extra round cost?
- What is your turnaround for a first draft?
- Do you write to time, and can you hit an exact running time?
- What rights am I getting, and for how long and where?
- Will you be credited, and how?
- Do you know the script approval process for filming permits here?
- Are you legally able to take paid work in the UAE?
- Can you confirm all of this in writing?
Ask for produced work, not just samples. Anyone can write a spec script. Far fewer have written something that survived a client, a budget and a shoot day. Is an agent involved? Our guide on warning signs when dealing with agents here shows what a proper confirmation looks like.
How to hire in five steps
- Work backwards from the shoot. If you need script approval, count back five to seven weeks and set your lock date first.
- Write the one page brief. Use the checklist above. It takes twenty minutes and saves weeks.
- Shortlist three writers. Read produced work in your format. A great short film writer is not automatically a great ad writer.
- Ask all three the same questions. Fee, rounds, turnaround and rights. Then the quotes are comparable.
- Confirm in writing, then pay the first stage. Scope, deadlines, revisions, rights, credit and payment schedule. Never the other way round.
Comparing writers on a marketplace? It helps to know how profiles are ordered and scored. Then you know what you are looking at.
Mistakes that waste a script budget
- Hiring the writer last. The script should come before the shoot dates, not after.
- No written brief. Everything after this point costs more.
- Sending notes from four people separately. Collect them, resolve conflicts, then send once.
- Unlimited revisions. Nobody wins. The work gets worse, not better.
- Writing long. A 60 second ad cannot hold 200 words of voice over.
- Treating Arabic as a translation task. The result sounds wrong to the people you most want to reach.
- Ignoring the approval timeline. A locked script five weeks out is not optional for film and TV work.
- No rights clause. You paid for pages you may not fully own.
- Choosing on price alone. A weak script costs far more in shoot days than a strong writer costs in fees.
Questions people ask
How much does a scriptwriter cost in Dubai?
A short social video script is around 500 to 1,500 AED. A corporate or explainer script is 1,500 to 5,000 AED. A commercial with a full concept is 3,000 to 10,000 AED. Short films start near 5,000 AED and feature screenplays begin around 40,000 AED.
How long does it take to write a script?
A short video script takes two to five days. A corporate film takes one to two weeks. A short film takes two to four weeks. A feature first draft usually takes four to eight weeks, and several drafts follow.
Do I need script approval to film in Dubai?
For scripted films, TV series and documentaries, yes. The Dubai Film and TV Commission must approve the script before you apply for a filming permit. Approval can take up to 25 business days, and the script cannot be changed after submission.
Does the whole script have to be submitted?
Yes. The entire script must be submitted even if only one sequence or one song is being filmed in Dubai. Arabic productions submit the full script in Arabic and all other productions submit full scripts in English.
Can I get a filming permit without a UAE company?
Not directly. You need a valid UAE production trade licence, or you partner with a licensed local production company that applies on your behalf. International companies are not issued permits directly.
Who owns a script I paid for in the UAE?
Only what you transferred in writing. Under Federal Decree Law No. 38 of 2021, an assignment of economic rights must be written and must name the right, the purpose, the duration and the place of use. The author keeps every right not expressly assigned.
Can a writer keep their name on the script?
Moral rights, including the right to be named as author, stay with the writer and cannot be assigned. Agree how credit will appear at the start of the project rather than at the end.
Is an Arabic script just a translation of the English one?
No. A translated script usually sounds flat when performed. What works is adaptation, where a writer rebuilds the idea in the second language. Budget roughly 40 to 70 percent of the original fee for a proper Arabic version.
How many words fit in a 60 second video?
Around 130 to 150 words of voice over in English, and often fewer in Arabic for the same meaning. Always write to time and read the script aloud with a stopwatch before approving it.
How many revision rounds are normal?
Two rounds is standard for commercial and corporate work. Agree what counts as a round and what an extra round costs before the writer starts. Open ended revisions are where most disputes begin.
Should I pay a scriptwriter up front?
Pay in stages. A common split is 50 percent to begin and 50 percent on delivery of the final draft. For features, payments are usually tied to the treatment, the first draft and the final draft.
Can I hire a scriptwriter remotely for a UAE project?
Yes, and many productions do. The risk is local knowledge. A writer outside the region may not know the content rules or the approval timeline. They may also misjudge how an idea lands with a Gulf audience. That gap usually costs more than the fee saved.
Find a writer for your project
Gulf Got Talents connects brands, agencies and production teams with scriptwriters, directors, actors, voice artists and crew. We cover Dubai and the wider Gulf. Compare portfolios and message writers directly.
Rates in this guide are market ranges gathered from public UAE production listings and freelance rate guides in 2026. They are a planning guide, not a quote. Permit rules, approval timelines and fees change, so confirm current requirements with the Dubai Film and TV Commission before you plan a schedule. This article is general information and not legal advice.