Chase the Action: Your Guide to Movies Filmed in Ras Al Khaimah

Table of Contents

• What Locations in Ras Al Khaimah are Most Popular for Filmmakers?
• Jebel Jais
• Al Jazeera Al Hamra
• Deserts and Wadis
• Beaches
• What Movies Were Filmed in Ras Al Khaimah?
• 1. War Machine
• 2. Sea Shadow
• 3. Airlift
• 4. Djinn
• 5. 6 Underground
• 6. The Ambush
• Ras Al Khaimah: A Film-Friendly, Tourist Destination in the UAE

“I saw it on screen!” If you’ve ever blurted out those words, you’ve probably visited a film location that has captured moviegoers everywhere. From Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”) dangling ever-so precariously on Burj Khalifa to Vin Diesel (“Furious 7”) defying the laws of physics in a supercar launching from the Etihad Towers and smashing into another tower, the UAE has become a cinematic playground for Hollywood.

Apart from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, another emirate is rising as a film destination: Ras Al Khaimah. Movies filmed in Ras Al Khaimah have a number of breathtaking and unique locations that transform travel destinations into cinematic gems on-screen.

When your travel plans include stepping into the real-life sets of movies, here’s your set-jetting guide to movies shot in Ras Al Khaimah.

What Locations in Ras Al Khaimah are Most Popular for Filmmakers?

Ras Al Khaimah’s spectacular and diverse natural attractions make this northernmost emirate a desirable location for the movie industry. It’s not just Hollywood location scouts who pick Ras Al Khaimah. Bollywood production houses and, naturally, UAE producers also choose the emirate as a cinematic backdrop.

Here are just a few of the film locations in Ras Al Khaimah.

Jebel Jais

Jebel Jais presents the kind of high-octane setting directors want for action scenes and wide panoramic shots with its jagged peaks, dramatic switchback roads, and sweeping views. As the UAE’s highest mountain, Jebel Jais is a popular destination that lends its rugged terrain and cool mountain light to scale and drama. Location scouts not only use the Ras Al Khaimah film destination for action movies, but they also find its grandeur ideal for movies filmed in the UAE.

Al Jazeera Al Hamra

The rustic textures, coral stone houses, and sandy pathways of Al Jazeera Al Hamra offer the perfect cinematic backdrop to supernatural flicks, period movies, or riveting thrillers. The abandoned pearl fishing village offers a peek into the old days before the discovery of oil and the early days of economic boom. Filmmakers and production crews work around existing structures, such as the well-preserved houses, a fort and watchtowers, a souq, and a mosque.

Deserts and Wadis

Ras Al Khaimah’s desert landscapes and wadis are endlessly cinematic, and at sunset, these otherworldly destinations create the perfect light for cinematic sequences. Whether a script calls for epic adventures or compelling solitude, movies filmed in the Ras Al Khaimah deserts and wadis create visual depth and offer story flexibility.

Beaches

Ras Al Khaimah’s beaches give filmmakers a clean, bright palette with undeniable cinematic appeal. Hollywood and Bollywood production houses have several options to choose from, including Al Rams Beach, Flamingo Beach, and a series of beach resorts.

Turquoise waters, soft white sand, and uninterrupted horizons create the perfect backdrop for romantic scenes, adventure films, and serene establishing shots. 

What Movies Were Filmed in Ras Al Khaimah?

From big-budget Hollywood films to moving Bollywood dramas, a variety of film productions have shot on location in the northernmost emirate.

Here are just some of the movies filmed in Ras Al Khaimah.

1. War Machine

One of two Netflix or streaming productions shot in Ras Al Khaimah, “War Machine” stars Brad Pitt as the proud General Glen McMahon with a mission to win an unpopular war against Afghanistan. The satirical war film was shot partly in Abu Dhabi and in Ras Al Khaimah, particularly in Al Jazeera Al Hamra for scenes depicting Afghan life, and the terracotta desert for army camp shots.

2. Sea Shadow

“Sea Shadow” is a coming-of-age tale of two 16-year-old boys who live in a small seaside village in Ras Al Khaimah. The drama was shot extensively in the northern emirate with a few scenes in Abu Dhabi.

3. Airlift

A movie about the mass civilian evacuation of Indian expats in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion, “Airlift” stars Bollywood’s Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur. The political thriller was shot partly in Ras Al Khaimah, which was designed to mimic Kuwait in the ‘90s.

4. Djinn

“Djinn” is an Emirati film production about a grief-stricken couple who return home to discover their deluxe apartment is haunted by evil spirits. The supernatural horror movie was filmed in a beachside resort in Ras Al Khaimah.

5. 6 Underground

The second Netflix production shot in Ras Al Khaimah, “6 Underground”, is one of the streaming service’s most costly projects at $150 million. The explosive, high-octane, Michael Bay-directed Hollywood flick stars Ryan Reynolds, who plays a billionaire who fakes his own death and recruits five other people to take down a dictator. It’s one of the biggest movies filmed in the UAE, with some sequences shot in Al Jazeera Al Hamra and other parts of Ras Al Khaimah.

6. The Ambush

“The Ambush” is an action thriller about three Emirati soldiers trapped and ambushed by insurgents in Yemen. Directed by Pierre Morel (“Taken”), the movie is based on actual events in 2018. It was shot on location in Ras Al Khaimah.

Ras Al Khaimah: A Film-Friendly, Tourist Destination in the UAE

Ras Al Khaimah’s natural beauty provides a cinematic background for the movie industry. Whether it’s Hollywood, Bollywood, or UAE filmmakers, production houses and location scouts have a variety of locations to meet the exacting requirements of every movie. The unique and breathtaking locations are not the only things that appeal to the movie industry. Actors and film crews have the benefit of enjoying the finest accommodations at the best resorts and hotels in Ras Al Khaimah.

As local authorities invest in film tourism and position Ras Al Khaimah among the film-friendly destinations in the UAE, you can expect more production houses to shoot movies in the northernmost emirate.

Ready to explore the northern emirate? Start planning which places to visit in Ras Al Khaimah today.