Dubai Studio City (DSC) Approved Auditors
We are Approved Auditors by DSC.
Audit Services for Dubai Studio City Companies
Farahat & Co. is an approved auditor for companies registered in Dubai Studio City (DSC), a business district regulated under the Dubai Development Authority (DDA).
Established in 2005 as part of TECOM Group, DSC is the region’s largest media production and broadcasting hub, home to more than 2,800 creative professionals and the largest sound stages in the Middle East and North Africa.
Every DSC-registered company must prepare and submit audited financial statements annually through the AXS portal, in line with DDA’s Private Companies Regulations.
Services We Offer as Dubai Studio City Approved Auditors in UAE
As approved auditors for Dubai Studio City, we provide specialised financial and compliance services for media production and broadcasting businesses in the UAE. Our team is committed to helping DSC companies operate efficiently and compliantly.
DSC Audit Requirements and Regulations
Legal basis
As a DDA-regulated business district, DSC companies are governed by DDA’s Private Companies Regulations. Members must appoint an auditor at each annual general meeting, and the auditor’s report must confirm whether the accounts give a true and fair view of the company’s financial position, prepared using IFRS or another accounting standard approved by the Registrar. Financial statements and the auditor’s report are generally submitted through the AXS portal within six months of the financial year-end.
Who must comply
The requirement applies to all free zone LLCs and branches registered in DSC, across broadcasting, film and TV production, digital content creation, talent and casting agencies, post-production services, and animation. Companies should retain financial statements and supporting records for at least eight years, consistent with DDA’s broader retention requirement.
Penalties for non-compliance
Late or missing submission of audited financial statements can delay trade licence renewal and create broader compliance issues with DDA. Given the project-based nature of much of DSC’s production activity, companies should also be prepared to present audited financial statements to support legal disputes involving cast, crew or production partners, or as part of a formal company wind-down or relocation process.
Speak to a Dubai Studio City Approved AuditorAudit Process, Documents and Media-Sector Considerations
Audit process
- Confirm the company’s financial year and organise production and accounting records.
- Prepare financial statements in line with IFRS or another approved standard.
- Appoint an auditor and complete the audit.
- Receive the audit report and Financial Statements Report Summary Sheet.
- Submit through the AXS portal within six months of the financial year-end.
Media-sector audit considerations
- Film and TV production companies: project-based costing, cast and crew payments, location and permit costs, and revenue recognition across multi-stage productions.
- Broadcasting companies: licensing fee income, advertising revenue, and content distribution rights.
- Post-production and animation studios: work-in-progress valuation and milestone-based client billing.
- Talent and casting agencies: commission income and freelancer payment records.
- Digital content creators: platform revenue, sponsorship income, and multi-currency payments from international clients.
Documents required
Trade licence, Memorandum and Articles of Association, general ledger and trial balance, bank statements and reconciliations, sales invoices and production contracts, freelancer and crew payment records, fixed asset register including production equipment, VAT returns, corporate tax registration details, and previous audited financial statements where available.
Why Choose Farahat & Co. as Your DSC-Approved Auditor
Farahat & Co. supports Dubai Studio City companies across film and TV production, broadcasting, post-production and digital content creation. Our audit approach reflects the project-based revenue and cost structures common in media production, from multi-stage production costing to freelancer and crew payment records, rather than applying a generic commercial audit template.
Beyond DSC, Farahat & Co. holds approvals across more than 20 UAE free zones, including DMCC, JAFZA and DIFC, and supports companies across every other DDA-regulated business district, giving media groups with operations spanning DSC, Dubai Media City and Dubai Production City a single, consistent audit partner.
About Dubai Studio City: Free Zone Profile
Dubai Studio City was established in 2005 as part of TECOM Group, built as a dedicated production cluster for television, radio and film. The free zone hosts the largest sound stages in the Middle East and North Africa, spanning roughly 50,000 square feet, alongside post-production studios, workshops, warehouses and a large backlot for on-location filming. DSC has supported major international productions, including Star Trek Beyond and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, alongside regional television series and reality formats.
DSC is home to more than 2,800 creative professionals across broadcasting, film and TV production, casting and talent agencies, animation, and digital content creation. The district sits within a broader TECOM media ecosystem alongside Dubai Media City and Dubai Production City, giving production companies access to a concentrated network of complementary media and entertainment businesses.