Director in the UAE.
Youssef Kamal Akef. Creative Director and Film Director based in the United Arab Emirates. Twelve years working across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah.
Two Guinness World Records in one 2024 season in Al Ain. UAE Golden Visa holder. Lecturer at EMDI Institute.
Working across the Emirates.
Dubai
Primary base. Brand films, live events, AI content direction.
Abu Dhabi
Government ceremonies (ADEK), Louvre Abu Dhabi events, cultural institutions.
Sharjah
Sharjah International Narrator Forum, Al Heera Beach Festival, Mleiha.
Al Ain
Al Ain Flower Festival, Al Ain Zoo Conservation Festival, two Guinness records.
Ras Al Khaimah
Available for creative direction on cultural and tourism projects.
Fujairah & Ajman
Regional projects by arrangement.
Why the UAE.
The UAE is the creative capital of the Middle East. Between government initiatives, Expo legacy programming, Vision 2030-adjacent cultural investment, and a rapidly growing film sector, the volume and ambition of briefs is unlike anywhere in the region.
Directing here means working across government, private brand, and high-net-worth audiences in the same month. It means understanding protocol, language, culture, and the specific weight each word in a brief carries.
I've been directing in the UAE for twelve years. I'm a UAE Golden Visa holder in the Creative Category. That means commitment, not just availability.
UAE projects.
Al Ain Flower Festival. Largest Natural Flower Bouquet, Guinness World Record 2024.
Al Ain Zoo Conservation Festival. Largest Palm Leaf Sentence, Guinness World Record 2024.
Sharjah International Narrator Forum 2025 Silver Jubilee. Immersive cultural experience.
ADEK Value Awards 2025. Abu Dhabi government ceremony, three-phase direction.
Louvre Abu Dhabi high-net-worth gathering. Private event creative direction.
Mleiha National Park media launch. Dual-purpose launch in Sharjah.
Let's work.
For creative direction, event direction, or film inquiries across the UAE.
youssefkamal@icloud.com