Takeover Films

06:15First light

Aerial and drone filming in Saudi Arabia

The GACA drone permit, the filming permit on the ground and a licensed drone operator, arranged with the rest of your shoot by one local team in Riyadh.

Plan your aerial shots See what you need
Takeover Films Ref. TKV-AIR-007

Drone filming permit request

Production
Your production
Aircraft
Camera drone
Operator
Licensed drone pilot
Locations
AlUla, the Red Sea
Shoot dates
Your dates
Ground unit
Filming permit
An illustration. The approvals an aerial shoot needs depend on its locations and plans, and we map them out with you first.

05:30Call sheet

What a drone shoot in Saudi Arabia needs.

The rules as published by Film Saudi, the Saudi Film Commission’s production office.

Aerial filming in Saudi Arabia Permits
Drones
Civil aviation (GACA)
Filming
Media authority
Operator
Licensed pilot
Foreign pilot
Work visa
ForWhat you need
DronesAerial filming needs a permit from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
The groundFilming in a public location also needs a permit from the General Authority for Media Regulation.
Government sitesFilming at a government site needs clearance from that entity.
Special areasShoots in AlUla, NEOM and on the Red Sea are coordinated with the Royal Commission for AlUla, NEOM and the Saudi Red Sea Authority.
Your pilotEvery non-Saudi crew member, drone pilots included, needs a work visa to film.
Your droneImport procedures depend on the kit you bring in.

Source: Film Saudi questions and answers, checked October 2026. The authorities’ current terms always have the final word. More on filming permits in Saudi Arabia.

RecceFrom the air

Where productions fly.

Each location needs its own permits and coordination, and we map them out for every place on your schedule.

  • AlUla

    Madinah Province, northwest

    Sandstone canyons and rock formations, oasis palm groves, and Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

  • NEOM

    Tabuk Province, northwest

    Mountains running down to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea coast.

  • The Red Sea

    West coast, islands and reefs

    Coral reefs, islands and long stretches of coastline along the west of the Kingdom.

  • Riyadh

    Riyadh Province, centre

    The capital: arenas and stadiums, modern towers, the old mud-brick district of At-Turaif in Diriyah, and open desert on the city’s edge.

  • Jeddah

    Makkah Province, Red Sea coast

    A Red Sea port city: the historic Al-Balad district, the waterfront and corniche, and two of the Asian Cup stadiums.

  • Al Khobar

    Eastern Province, Arabian Gulf coast

    A Gulf coast city next to Dammam and Dhahran, with the new Aramco Stadium.

See all filming locations in Saudi Arabia.

ScheduleFrom brief to first flight

How we set up the aerial unit.

  1. Brief

    The shots and the places

    Locations, dates, the aerial shots you need, and whether you bring your own drone and pilot.

  2. Permits

    Air and ground approvals

    The GACA drone permit, the filming permit, and coordination with the site, mapped out with you first.

  3. Operator

    A licensed pilot

    A licensed local drone operator, or a work visa and kit procedures for the pilot you bring.

  4. Fly

    With your unit

    Paperwork with the unit and the aerial and ground teams on one call sheet.

NotesProduction office

Questions about drone filming.

Do we need a permit to film with a drone in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Aerial filming needs a permit from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). We apply for drone permits as part of your shoot.

Do we also need a filming permit?

Yes. Filming in a public location needs a permit from the General Authority for Media Regulation, and filming at a government site needs clearance from that entity. We map out every approval for each location on your schedule.

Can you provide a licensed drone operator?

Yes. We work with licensed drone operators and put the aerial unit on the same call sheet as the rest of your crew.

Can we bring our own drone pilot?

Yes. Every non-Saudi crew member, drone pilots included, needs a work visa to film in Saudi Arabia, and import procedures depend on the kit you bring in. We arrange visas for the crew you bring.

Where can we film from the air?

From AlUla’s canyons and NEOM’s mountains to the Red Sea coast, Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar, with the right permits for each location. Shoots in AlUla, NEOM and on the Red Sea are coordinated with the Royal Commission for AlUla, NEOM and the Saudi Red Sea Authority.

How long does a drone permit take?

It depends on the permit and the location. Send us your dates as early as you can, and we will plan the applications backwards from your first shooting day.

21:00Next call

Send us your locations and the shots.

We will map the air and ground approvals and come back with a plan and a quote.

Message us on WhatsApp pr@takeoverfilms.com