Film production gave Dubai's economy a $40.8m boost last year, as more television shows and commercials were being filmed in the emirate. The government approved 877 film and photography requests in 2011. While the majority of filming requests originated from Dubai, 115 originated from Europe, and 12 from other Middle Eastern countries.

Dubai has become one of the major destinations for film shoots, with its ease of access to a regional pool of talent and material as well as exclusive facilities. The comment was made during Filming in Dubai, the inaugural session of the information forum series, hosted by Dubai Studio City, the dedicated film and broadcast production free zone and a member of TECOM Investments Media Cluster.