Bahrain video production & production support
As an often considered hidden gem of the Middle East, Bahrain offers numerous unique locations and opportunities for international filmmakers. However, no matter the kind of Bahrain video production you’re planning, you’ll need an experienced local line production company like us to fully reap the rewards.We know the archipelago well and can provide you with a comprehensive suite of services essential for a successful Bahrain video production. From pre-production research and securing film permits to managing logistics for multi-location shoots across the country’s 33 islands, we’re the production fixer that will ensure your film project in this Persian Gulf country progresses seamlessly and efficiently.
Production service & video production services in Bahrain
Our Manama video production team offers a comprehensive video production service throughout Bahrain. We excel in location scouting and can help you access some of the most historically significant or visually stunning filming spots in the country. We also take care of film permits, which can be challenging if you’re unfamiliar with the administrative processes in this country. Additionally, if you can’t be on-site for whatever reasons, we can provide remote video production services. This involves us handling filming, editing, and delivering footage according to your timeline, ensuring a smooth and problem-free process no matter where in the world you are.
Filming requirements in Bahrain
- Capital
- Manama
- Main areas
- Manama, Muharraq, Riffa
- Language
- Arabic; English widely used
- Currency
- Bahraini dinar (BHD)
- Working week
- Sunday to Thursday
- Film permit
- Ministry of Information
- Crew visa
- Work visa via a local company
- ATA Carnet accepted
- Yes
- Drones
- Licence required; licensed local crew
- Production incentive
- None
How far ahead to start
Send permit details 2 weeks ahead. Work visas go through your local production company, and their timing depends on nationality.
- Film permitSubmit 2 weeks ahead
- Equipment clearance5–7 days
- Drone permit, licensed crewAbout 7 days
Requirements in detail
Crew visas
- Film crews
- Work visa, filed by a registered local company
- Visitors
- eVisa or visa on arrival for many nationalities
- Accreditation
- Tied to the visa, not applied for separately
A tourist or business visa does not cover a working crew. Your local producer confirms each crew member’s visa type before travel.
Documents needed (3)
- Passport valid for 6 months, with two blank pages
- Sponsor letter
- Flight and accommodation details
Film permit
- Issued by
- Ministry of Information, Media Department
- Processing time
- Up to 7 days once complete
- Cost
- About BHD 200–250 for standard public locations
Museums, archaeological and heritage sites need a separate permit from the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. Private venues set their own fees.
Documents needed (5)
- Script or treatment
- Filming dates
- Location list
- Crew list
- Equipment list
Drones
- Registration
- Every drone, with Civil Aviation, whatever its size
- Over 5 kg
- Approval before import
- Flying
- Illegal without a valid licence
In practice, aerials are flown by a local crew licensed by the Ministry of Information, at about USD 2,250 for 3 hours or USD 4,250 for 6 hours, permit included. Send the project type, shot details and a storyboard.
Equipment customs
- ATA Carnet
- Accepted
- Clearance certificate
- Ministry of Information, 5–7 days
- Without a Carnet
- Refundable deposit at the airport
Documents needed (5)
- Script or treatment
- Filming dates
- Crew passport copies
- Equipment list
- Invitation letter from the client
Safety and local rules
- Crime
- Generally low
- Never film
- Security and military sites, operations or incidents
- Public gatherings
- Temporarily banned on roads and squares
Sharing images of security sites can lead to arrest. Summer heat is intense, so outdoor shoots usually move to the cooler months.
Production incentive
- Cash rebate
- None
- Tax incentives
- None for media productions
- Heritage sites
- Higher fees apply
Rules and fees change. We confirm every figure for your dates before you budget.
Get a quote
Film crew for hire & local contributors
Teaming with us as your production fixer gives you access to a team of rigorously screened local technical crews and collaborators. Our Bahrain video production team is skilled, reliable, and deeply familiar with the local landscape. You can trust that your project will be supported by professionals providing the exact production service needed to deliver excellence.
Research & fact-checking
Accuracy and legal compliance are crucial to your video’s success, and we ensure that from day one. Our team of expert researchers and production fixers carefully verifies every detail of your script or background information, ensuring your Bahrain video production meets all standards and is ready to go without issue.
Film permits & local access
We’ll handle all necessary film permits, whether you’re planning a Manama video production or a shoot elsewhere. Most public location permits are free of charge, but there may be costs with private or historically significant sites. However, as your line production company, we’ll quickly secure any authorization needed, relieving you of the challenges of navigating local bureaucracy.
Location scouting & management
Whether you hope to film the futuristic-looking Manama skyline or a more traditional desert village, location scouting in Bahrain offers a range of wonderfully diverse sites. We’ll ensure the locations we secure match the vision of your Bahrain video production. As importantly, we’ll also secure all necessary permits and manage the site from start to finish.
Film equipment rental
Bringing filming equipment into Bahrain can require complex immigration permits. Instead, rely on our trusted connections with reputable rental companies for state-of-the-art, competitively priced gear. We’ll ensure you get what you need—another essential production service we provide as a trusted production fixer helping international video makers with their Bahrain video production.
Logistics handling
If you’re planning multi-location shoots, you’ll require seamless logistics. Our Bahrain video production team can coordinate transport and accommodation for you, the cast, and the crew. As remote video production specialists, we can also capture additional footage in other areas of the country if you need to concentrate fully on the primary location.
Tips from our local producers
Getting film permits in Armenia
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Visas and ATA Carnet
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Fun fact about filming in Armenia
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
Our local work
Manama video production – see how we work
As a trusted production fixer, we’ve successfully managed several Manama video productions alongside film projects happening across Bahrain. Working with top international clients has driven us to consistently elevate our production service, combining local expertise with high standards of support. We believe it’s crucial foreign filmmakers working with us receive the same level of quality they’d expect anywhere in the world. It’s this attention to excellence that helps us attract great clients who want the confidence of knowing their production is in skilled hands.
Bahrain video production: unique film locations
Location scouting in Bahrain will reveal a magical choice of great filming spots. There’s the futuristic architecture of Manama, the old souqs and historic forts of desert towns, and the white, glistening beaches stretching along the Persian Gulf. As your line production company in this remarkable archipelago, we can help you find the most appropriate sites for your Bahrain video production. We can also guide you in understanding some location restrictions, such as the curfew on the Bahrain waterways between 6.30pm and 4.am nightly.
Complete support with paperwork
Few people become filmmakers to deal with paperwork! And that’s why managing all your administrative needs is a top production service we provide. This includes helping you with visas, handling film permits and location access contracts, organizing travel itineraries, and managing all bookings from equipment rentals to accommodation. Whatever paperwork is needed to support your Bahrain video production, we’re happy to take it on, giving you the time and space to focus fully on your creative vision.
Broad-ranging portfolio
In recent years Bahrain has become a more attractive location destination for international video makers eager to make documentaries, corporate videos, film the Bahrain Grand Prix, and undertake a vast number of other Bahrain video productions. As a leading line production company in the country, we’ve had the pleasure of providing production service to many of the media and film professionals that have traveled here. Our ever-growing portfolio includes working with acclaimed TV programs like Top Gear and brands such as Google, Puma, and Panasonic.
Full-service production
The production service we offer as a Manama video production company working throughout Bahrain includes everything a production needs, from its earliest idea to its final edit. If you need research, location scouting and management, film crews, equipment, and logistics handling, we can provide it. Moreover, we tweak and tailor all our services so they fit what you need rather than the other way around. Additionally, we offer remote video production services, helping you plan and film your project without actually having to be here.
Our international work
We serviced content for
Key people
Imtiaz
Producer & Fixer
Tara
Senior Production Specialist
Storytailors were incredibly dialed from day one through the last – from helping assemble our production crew in Seoul, to navigating our 16-hour time zone difference with grace and ease, to translating Korean interviews in post – they truly were an extension of our creative production team in Portland.
The Storytailors team were an immense support on a remote project that started with many moving pieces. We ultimately shot with a brilliant team in Bolivia who were thorough and a pleasure to work with.
Working with Storytailors on our recent film in Cambodia was an efficient, helpful, and creatively collaborative experience. The Storytailors team understood what our specific goals were and matched us with skilled artists, with intimate knowledge and connection to the local community we were interested in capturing.
Paul Lungu kindly supplied us with fixers and crews for a series of short charity films that we made in four European countries. Everything was dealt with very efficiently and the crews and fixers were friendly and helpful. The project was particularly challenging because of the Covid pandemic but everything passed without a hitch.
Storytailors were great in facilitating an overseas shoot in South Korea during lockdown. It was a tricky brief, with lots of moving parts and the guys helped us find solutions at every turn.
Filming in Bahrain
If you need to film in Bahrain, we are the line production company you’ll want. That’s because we have extensive experience working with international media and filmmakers on a variety of diverse Bahrain video production projects. We can help with research, location scouting, film permits, crew hire, remote video production, and more.We also check the full work history and skillset of the film crew and fixers we collaborate with so that we can be confident they’re the right fit for your project. They won’t just bring their extensive experience with Manama video productions and filming elsewhere in Bahrain; they’ll also bring vital cultural insights and the proven ability to handle any logistical challenges that may arise during the course of filming in this Middle Eastern country. We’re delighted to be able to offer our clients these extensive services as a professional production fixer in Bahrain. If you’d like to hear more, get in touch with us today.
