How to Price Yourself as a Creative in Dubai
By Kamal Abdelrahman, filmmaker and marketing strategist, Dubai
Pricing is the question I get asked most by people coming up in this field. It's also the one where everybody wants a number, and a number's the one thing I can't honestly give you.
Rates in Dubai vary hugely. Someone could charge ten times more than another person for what looks like the same day of filming. So instead of a number, here's how I'd work yours out.
Start with what you actually need
Most creatives begin by asking what others charge. Start by asking what you need to survive first, because Dubai is expensive and freelancing has costs people forget.
Add up a year of:
- → Rent, food and transport
- → Visa and licence costs
- → Insurance, including health
- → Gear, repairs and software
- → Your phone, internet and marketing
- → Savings, for the months with no work
Now the hard part. You won't be paid for every working day. You'll spend a lot of time on pitching, admin, editing and chasing invoices. Decide honestly how many days you can actually bill for, then divide. That's your minimum day rate. Below that, you're paying to work.
Price the result, not the hours
Charging by the hour punishes you for getting better. The faster you get, the less you earn. And the client doesn't care if the edit took five hours or fifty. They care what it does for them.
Think about value. A video for a small local shop and a launch film for a big developer may take similar work, but they don't have the same value to the client. Their usage is different, and so are the stakes. That's why it's fair for the price to be different too.
For me, the shift came when I stopped saying "I shoot videos" and started saying "I bring you clients through video." It was the same camera, the same skills and almost the same pricing, but the conversation changed.
Use packages
When you give only one price, the client has just one choice: yes or no. Give them three.
- → Basic: the core thing, done well
- → Standard: what you actually recommend, with the short versions and extras
- → Full: everything, including strategy and more content
Now the question changes from "Should I hire you?" to "Which one should I choose?" Many clients will go for the middle option. And be clear on what's included in each: shoot days, locations, versions, rounds of changes and who owns what.
Charge for everything that costs you
Things creatives often forget to price:
- → Pre-production: scripts, planning and scouting
- → Rounds of revisions beyond what you agreed
- → Rush jobs
- → Usage rights, such as paid advertising versus social media
- → Permits and location fees
- → Crew, equipment hire and transport
- → Raw footage, if they want it
Don't apologise for your price
When you say your price, stop talking. It's uncomfortable. Do it anyway. Most people ruin it by rushing in: "But I can do a discount if that's too much!" You've just told them your price isn't real.
If they say it's too expensive, ask, "What budget did you have in mind?" Then change the scope, not the rate. "For that budget, I can do this version." You give them less work for less money. You're not just doing the same work for less.
Know when to say no
Cheap clients often turn out to be the hardest. They frequently ask for the most changes, and pay latest. Saying no feels terrible when your bank account's looking thin. But each hour you spend on a bad deal is an hour you can't spend finding a good one.
What about working for free? I did it, early on, and it taught me a lot. If you do choose to, do it on purpose. Do it for a portfolio piece, a cause you care about or someone who can really open doors. Set a clear limit, and get a testimonial in return. "Exposure" alone doesn't pay the rent.
How to research the market
You still need to know what the market looks like. Talk to other creatives, and be honest with each other. Dubai's creative community is smaller than it looks. Ask agencies what they'd pay a freelancer. And be cautious with online platforms, because the cheapest offers on there don't reflect what real clients pay for quality work.
Raise your prices regularly
Your skills improve, your costs go up and your prices should follow. A simple signal: if nearly everyone says yes straight away, you're probably too cheap.
Start with new clients. Raise your price for the next person who asks, and see what happens. For existing clients, give them plenty of notice and a reason. Some will leave. Often, those are the ones you've outgrown.
Protect your money
- → Take a deposit before you start. Many freelancers ask for 50%.
- → Write everything down, even with people you like.
- → Agree on when the balance is due, preferably before final delivery.
- → Send your invoices promptly, and follow up politely.
Also talk to someone qualified about your licence, invoicing and tax position. I'm a filmmaker, not an accountant.
I'm Kamal Abdelrahman, and I've undercharged plenty over my 9+ years. Nobody taught me how to do this, and I learned it the hard way. Your price tells people how seriously to take you, so take yourself seriously first.
Work out your minimum day rate this week. If you've been charging below it, your next quote has to change.
Looking for this kind of work? See personal branding in Dubai.