The filming permit
All filming in Jordan runs through the Royal Film Commission. We prepare the application, the script synopsis and the location list, and follow it through the RFC and the governorate.
Filming in Wadi Rum
You have seen Wadi Rum before. You called it Mars.
Seven hundred square kilometres of red sand and granite in Jordan's south — a UNESCO World Heritage site, a protected area, and one of the most filmed deserts on earth. This page covers what a production actually needs to know: permits, access, seasons and logistics.
The location
Sixty years of productions can't be wrong
Lawrence of Arabia shot here in 1962. Since then Wadi Rum has stood in for Mars in The Martian, for Jedha in Rogue One, for Agrabah in Aladdin, and for Arrakis in both parts of Dune. The reason is simple: nowhere else puts this much alien landscape within reach of an international airport.
One hour from Aqaba's international airport. Around four hours from Amman on the Desert Highway. Petra is on the way.
Permits & clearances
Three layers of approval. We run all of them.
The protected area
Wadi Rum is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Working inside it means coordination with the reserve authority and the local Bedouin community — whose guides, camps and 4x4s are also your best crew on the sand.
Special clearances
The desert sits in a border region, so some areas and all drone work need separate clearance. We prepare those applications and tell you before you lock the schedule what your dates realistically allow.
Simple city locations clear in about a week. For Wadi Rum, plan on two to three working weeks. Start the paperwork before you book flights, not after.
On the ground
The desert is the easy part when the logistics are done right
Getting in and around
- Fly into Aqaba (about an hour away) or Amman (about four hours)
- Tarmac ends at the village — beyond it, everything moves by 4x4
- Experienced local drivers who read the sand, sourced with the community
- Equipment trucked down from Amman, or brought in on a carnet we handle
Living and working there
- Accommodation from desert camps inside the reserve to hotels in Aqaba
- Generators, fuel and water planned per shooting day
- Catering and craft in the desert, not sandwiches from town
- Mobile coverage is patchy in the massifs — comms are planned, not assumed
Seasons
When to come — and when not to
- October to April is prime: clear light, workable days, cold sharp nights.
- Midsummer passes 40°C at midday. It can be shot — we schedule around dawn and dusk — but the working day compresses.
- Winter nights drop to around freezing. Night shoots need real cold-weather planning.
- Spring can bring wind and the occasional sandstorm — we build weather cover into the schedule.
The light that made this desert famous is real: long golden hours, and at night, a sky with no light pollution at all.
Worth knowing
Your Wadi Rum spend counts toward Jordan's cash rebate
The Royal Film Commission's rebate returns 25% to 45% of qualifying spend inside Jordan to international productions. What you spend on crew, transport, camps and services in Wadi Rum qualifies. We assess your project against the points system and handle the paperwork.
How the rebate works →Questions producers ask
Wadi Rum, answered straight
How long does the permit take?
City locations clear in about a week. Wadi Rum adds the protected area and the border region, so allow two to three working weeks. We confirm the realistic timeline for your dates before you lock a schedule.
Can I fly a drone?
Drone work in Jordan is tightly controlled and needs its own clearance on top of the filming permit, granted case by case. We prepare the application with your flight plan and tell you honestly whether your dates and locations allow it.
When is the best season?
October to April. Midsummer exceeds 40°C at midday and compresses the shooting day; if summer is unavoidable, we schedule around dawn and dusk and plan the recovery time seriously.
Planning a shoot in Wadi Rum?
Tell us the project and the dates. We will come back within 24 hours with what the permits, the access and the season mean for your schedule — before you commit to anything.