Dubai · Abu Dhabi · Sharjah
One time zone, one air bridge, two economies that trade more every year
Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates share the UTC+4 time zone: nine in the morning in Port Louis is nine in the morning in Dubai. The two countries have had a double taxation agreement since 2006 and an investment protection agreement since 2015, and in July 2024 they signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the first the UAE concluded with an African country.
Dubai is also how much of the world reaches the island. In 2025 one tourist in five landed in Mauritius on a flight from the Emirates, including four in five visitors from Russia and almost half of those from China and the Netherlands. For Gulf companies, Mauritius is a direct flight to a bilingual, stable base facing Africa and the Indian Ocean.
- Production services in Mauritius for Gulf commercials, films and content: locations, permits, crews and the Film Rebate Scheme
- Campaigns, websites and content in Arabic and English, written for the Gulf rather than translated
- Marketing for Mauritian hotels, resorts and property developers speaking to travellers and buyers in the Emirates
- Communication for UAE groups setting up in Mauritius and using it as a base for Africa
Facts
The UAE and Mauritius
275,818
tourists reached Mauritius on flights from the UAE in 2025, 19% of all arrivals
92,882
trips by Mauritian residents to the UAE in 2025, their first destination abroad
2024
year the UAE–Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed in Dubai
99%
of the UAE population uses the internet; Instagram ads reach 70.5% of it
UTC+4
the same time zone in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Port Louis
Arrivals on flights from the UAE are counted by port of embarkation, so they include travellers in transit in Dubai; 12,901 visitors in 2025 were residents of the UAE.
Channels
Arabic and English, mobile first
Almost everyone in the Emirates is online, and daily life runs between Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and WhatsApp. Campaigns work in Arabic and English, often side by side, with creative that respects local codes and a calendar shaped by Ramadan, Eid and the summer, when many residents travel.
For a Mauritian hotel or developer this means Arabic pages that load fast on a phone, content made for Snapchat and Instagram as well as for Google, and a WhatsApp contact that answers in the same working day. For a Gulf brand coming to the island, it means a team that briefs, shoots and delivers on Dubai time.
Questions from the Gulf
Can we shoot in Mauritius during the Gulf summer?
Yes. From June to September, while the Gulf is at its hottest, Mauritius is in its winter: mild days, generally drier weather and soft light. We choose locations coast by coast, because the east and south are windier than the west and north.
Can a UAE production use the Film Rebate Scheme?
The scheme is claimed by a company incorporated or registered in Mauritius, which may be 100% foreign-owned. A UAE production usually works with a Mauritian production company or sets one up; we help you check eligibility early and prepare the documentation. The decision belongs to the authorities.
Do you create content in Arabic?
Yes. We create campaigns, websites and social content in Arabic and English for the Gulf, and we work in the same time zone as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Why use Mauritius as a base for Africa?
Mauritius is a member of the African Union, SADC and COMESA and of the African Continental Free Trade Area, it works in English and French, and it has a wide network of trade and tax agreements. Many groups manage their African operations from the island; we help them explain that choice to clients, partners and talent.
Useful for clients in the Emirates
Shoot in Mauritius
Films, series, commercials and music videos: we help international productions shoot in Mauritius, from the first location photos to the wrap, and we prepare the file for the Film Rebate Scheme with the producer when the project qualifies.
Digital marketing and media
Visibility that turns into demand. We plan, buy and optimise search, social, display, video and traditional media around one question: what did it bring to your business?
Industries
Every sector has its own calendar, its own rules and its own customers. These are the industries that shape the Mauritian economy, and what we do for each of them.
Have a project in mind?
A launch, a campaign, a new website, a film to shoot on the island: tell us where you want to go and we will come back to you with a first point of view.