Video and Photo Crews in Saudi Arabia

Four cities, different briefs

Saudi Arabia is a large country, and the distance between its business centres means the choice of city affects your whole plan. Riyadh is the capital and a natural setting for government-facing work, headquarters interviews and major conferences. Jeddah is a Red Sea commercial centre. Dammam and neighbouring Al Khobar are in the Eastern Province, home to much of the country's energy and industrial sector.

Fame Crew's approach is to use someone local to the shoot, so a shoot in Al Khobar can go to a crew member who knows that part of the country rather than someone sent across the kingdom. If you need a remote location, tell us the address, and we will flag any travel costs upfront rather than adding them later.

Questions to settle on approvals

Filming permit and drone rules are not set out on this page. Check them directly with the relevant Saudi authority or your local representative for your specific project, and treat third-party summaries with care. These questions will make that conversation shorter:

• Will any filming take place in a public area, or only on private premises?
• Who owns the location, and have they given written permission?
• Is it a government, industrial or otherwise security-sensitive location?
• Will the footage include aerial shots?
• Is any equipment or personnel coming in from outside the country?
• Who is your local entity or sponsor, if the location asks for one?

Filming on industrial sites

Energy, infrastructure and industrial sites often have their own security clearance and safety requirements, on top of anything needed more widely. These can take a long time to arrange, so start as soon as you know the shoot is likely. Ask your site contact what names, ID details or equipment lists are needed, and how far in advance.

Put the requirements in your brief, along with the name of the person who will escort the crew. Crew members can sign your NDA before arriving. If the footage needs internal approval before being used, say who reviews it, and allow time for that before any public launch.

Working around the week and the calendar

The Saudi working week generally runs Sunday to Thursday, which can catch out teams based elsewhere. Our standard quote turnaround of about 2 hours applies Mon-Fri, so if you are planning something on a Sunday, send your request ahead of time. Allow for the difference when arranging calls with people in Saudi Arabia and your own head office.

Prayer times can affect the flow of a day, including access to shops, venues and some interviewees. Ramadan and Eid also change business hours, so check the dates before fixing a schedule. In the hotter months, plan any outdoor work for the early morning or the end of the day, and have a backup indoor location.

People on camera

Get consent from anyone who will be clearly identifiable, and take care when filming in public places. Ask your local team how they would like mixed groups to be shown, what dress is expected on camera and whether any interviewee has preferences on how they appear. If your interviews will be in Arabic, or in both Arabic and English, mention it in your brief so that it is considered when the crew is matched and in the edit, including for subtitles.

Being clear on these things beforehand helps avoid a final edit that is well made but cannot be published.

What you get

You get a vetted local crew member whose portfolio you have approved, one production manager and one invoice, including when a project covers more than one city. Our crew can provide conference coverage, interviews, trade show footage, podcasts and photography. Edited assets can be delivered within 48 hours, and raw files can be transferred after the shoot if you ask for them in your brief.

For prices, see the pricing page. Your quote is fixed before you commit, your deposit is fully refundable, and you can reschedule free up to 48 hours before the shoot.