The long read · Cinema in the Emirates
Cinema in the Emirates: A New Screen Capital
The Emirates are a young film nation with a big screen presence: a home for Arab film-makers, a stage for Hollywood’s biggest stunts and a desert that has played other planets. Here is the story, and where to watch in Dubai.
Updated October 2026
From a festival to a film hub
Cinema in the Emirates grew fast. The Dubai International Film Festival, first held in 2004, brought world stars to the city each December and championed new Arab film-makers until its last edition in 2017. In 2009 Ali F. Mostafa’s City of Life, three stories crossing in modern Dubai, premiered there and became a landmark of Emirati film.
Abu Dhabi built its own industry, backing Arab and international productions and bringing Hollywood to its deserts, while Dubai’s studios and skyline became favourite locations. Today the Emirates are a meeting point for the cinemas of the Arab world, India and the West.
Must-watch films
For a taste of the Emirates on screen, start with these.
- City of Life (2009): Ali F. Mostafa’s Dubai drama, the first big Emirati feature set in the city.
- Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011): Tom Cruise climbs the outside of the Burj Khalifa.
- Star Trek Beyond (2016): Dubai’s towers become the gleaming starbase Yorktown.
- Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024): Denis Villeneuve’s desert planet, filmed in the dunes of Liwa in Abu Dhabi.
The names
The Emirates’ screens are shared by film-makers from across the region.
- Ali F. Mostafa: the Emirati director of City of Life and The Worthy.
- Arab cinema’s stars, from Egypt’s Omar Sharif to Lebanon’s Nadine Labaki, are celebrated on Dubai’s screens: read their stories in our Egyptian and Saudi cinema long reads.
- Hollywood’s visitors: Tom Cruise, the cast of Star Trek and the stars of Dune have all filmed in the Emirates.
Where to watch in Dubai
Cinema Akil, which began as a pop-up in 2014 and found a permanent home in Alserkal Avenue in 2018, is Dubai’s art-house cinema, showing festival films, classics and new Arab cinema. The great malls have luxurious multiplexes with recliners and gourmet menus for the latest releases.
Our advice: spend an afternoon in the galleries of Alserkal Avenue, then stay for an evening film at Cinema Akil.
Hidden on the silver screen: international productions filmed in the Emirates
Skyscrapers, desert and sea have made the Emirates a favourite of Hollywood.
- Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), the Burj Khalifa: Tom Cruise’s climb up the world’s tallest building.
- Star Trek Beyond (2016), Jumeirah Lakes Towers: the waterfront towers of Dubai became the starbase Yorktown.
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Liwa: the desert of Abu Dhabi played the planet Jakku.
- Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), Liwa: the dunes became Arrakis.
A crossroads of cinemas
The Emirates are a meeting point for the world’s film industries. Bollywood stars film and premiere here, Arab film-makers find funding and audiences, and Hollywood comes for skyscrapers and deserts alike. For the longer story of Arab cinema, read our long reads on Egyptian and Saudi film.
Questions and answers
Which Hollywood films were shot in Dubai?
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (the Burj Khalifa climb) and Star Trek Beyond (Dubai as the starbase Yorktown) are the best known.
Is there an art-house cinema in Dubai?
Yes. Cinema Akil, in Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz, shows festival films, classics and new Arab cinema.
Join the conversation
Which film shot in the Emirates do you love most? Share your favourite scenes and the films we should add.
- Loading the conversation…
Sources: Cinema Akil, Dubai Film and TV Commission, the studios’ production notes and contemporary festival reports, checked on 6 November 2026. The trailers are from Front Row Filmed Entertainment’s, Paramount’s and Warner Bros.’ official channels.