Locations / Qatar
The whole country is the backlot.
Location scouting, permissions and on-the-day location management anywhere in Qatar, from the dunes of Khor Al Adaid to the towers of West Bay.
Location atlas
TSK–L01 / Distances from the studio
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Dunes running into the Inland Sea
A UNESCO-recognised reserve where sand dunes meet a tidal sea. Desert epics, car films, sunrise wides.
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Tall dunes beside the coast
The nearest big dunes to the studio, with beach and sea on one side and open sand on the other.
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Restored stone souq on the seafront
Coral-stone lanes, wind towers and a working harbour, a short drive from the studio.
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Mud-rendered alleys in central Doha
Covered lanes, lantern-lit courtyards and traditional shopfronts for period and street scenes.
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Towers along the Corniche
Doha's skyline across the bay. Glass towers, waterfront roads and night exteriors.
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A new city of boulevards and marinas
Wide boulevards, modern architecture and waterfront promenades for contemporary and commercial work.
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Mangrove channels and mudflats
Still green water, birdlife and shallow channels north of Al Khor. Kayak and drone work.
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Rock carvings on the north-east coast
Limestone outcrops cut with ancient petroglyphs, on open ground near the sea.
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A desert fort beside a UNESCO site
A square fort with round towers on open plain, next to the ruins of a pearling town.
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Richard Serra's steel plates in the desert
Four steel plates across a kilometre of gypsum plateau, inside Brouq Nature Reserve.
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Limestone mesas and mushroom rocks
Wind-cut rock formations and cliffs on the west coast. Alien worlds, sci-fi and fashion.
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A ready-built village set
A walled stone village built as a film set, with a fort, houses and a central square.
Location management
From the first scout to handing the keys back.
- 01Scout
We read the script or brief, shortlist places that fit, and send photo packs with access, light and sound notes.
- 02Recce
We take the director and heads of department round the shortlist and work out where the unit, cameras and vehicles go.
- 03Permissions
We prepare the filming requests for the relevant authorities and agree terms with private owners.
- 04Unit base
Parking, power, shade, welfare and catering space, planned for Qatar's heat and for desert access.
- 05Shoot day
A location manager on site to look after the owners, neighbours and public, and to keep the day on schedule.
- 06Wrap
We clear the site, put it back the way we found it, and close things out with the owner.
What Qatar can play
One peninsula, many worlds.
- Open desert
- Dunes, gravel plains and sabkha salt flats, within an hour of Doha.
- Another planet
- The wind-cut mesas and pale plateaus of the west coast.
- The old Gulf
- Forts, souqs and coral-stone villages for period stories.
- A global city
- Glass towers, new boulevards and marinas around Doha and Lusail.
Questions
Filming on location in Qatar.
Does Tashkila provide location scouting in Qatar?
Yes. Tashkila scouts filming locations anywhere in Qatar, from desert and coastline to heritage sites and city streets, and sends photo packs with access, light and sound notes before the recce.
Can Tashkila arrange filming permissions for locations in Qatar?
Yes. We prepare the filming requests for the relevant authorities and agree terms with private owners. Public, heritage and government sites take the longest, so share your dates as early as you can.
What does location management cover on the shoot day?
A location manager looks after the unit base, parking, power, shade and welfare, liaises with owners, neighbours and the public, and clears and reinstates the site after wrap.
Where can you film desert scenes in Qatar?
The dunes at Sealine, about 24 km from the Tashkila studio, are the closest big dunes. Khor Al Adaid in the south-east has dunes running into the Inland Sea, and the west coast near Zekreet and Brouq has limestone mesas and rock formations.
Which heritage and city locations can you film in Qatar?
Heritage options include Souq Waqif, Al Wakrah Souq, Al Zubarah Fort, the Al Jassasiya rock carvings and the Film City village set. For contemporary looks there are West Bay's towers along the Corniche and the boulevards and marinas of Lusail.