Filmmaker blocked from Dubizzle after posting job advert for adult movie

Company posted ad looking for western female actress for illegal movie to be 'photographed in Dubai'.

DUBAI // A filmmaker was blocked from classifieds website Dubizzle after posting a job advert for an indecent movie.

The company, called Active Movies, had posted an advert looking for a western female actress for an illegal adult movie.

The advert claimed the production would be “photographed in Dubai”.

The post was online for less than an hour and it is unclear how many people replied to it within that period.

“Our customer support team spotted and instantly removed it within a very short period and blocked the user,” said Ibrahim Seksek, head of operations at Dubizzle.

“It is definitely against Dubizzle’s ethics and culture, hence ads of this nature are not welcomed on the site.”

He said the company was no stranger to unusual adverts. Usually, if they are harmless, they are left up on the site.

“We get all sorts of funny ads at Dubizzle every once in a while, such as users trying to sell eggs or Boeing 747s,” Mr Seksek added.

“Those funny ads are not against our terms and conditions and add some humour to the content on the site.”

Jamal Al Sharif, the chairman of the Dubai Film and TV Commission, which oversees applications for filming permissions in Dubai, said it was highly unlikely that the advert was serious.

“I think it’s probably a hoax,” he said. “Either that or the guy probably had a lot of courage.”

The UAE has strict rules not only with regards to what is shown on television but also what is filmed here.

Saarah Badr, a media lawyer at Bird and Bird, in Abu Dhabi, said there was practically no chance that a film featuring indecency could ever be shot in the UAE.

“To film anything here you need to get National Media Council approval of the script and you would need to get shooting permits,” she said.

Mr Al Sharif, who is also the managing director of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City, said there were important reasons why that was the case. “We are in a very liberal country but we have morals and values here,” he said.

“It’s the sort of thing that probably wouldn’t be acceptable in any country. But the UAE is an Islamic country, and culture is very important.

“We respect all cultures and religions in our country. But at all times, we make sure that whatever is filmed or produced here, it’s not harming anyone’s culture or belief.

“We get thousands of applications for filming in Dubai and, in my past eight or nine-year career, I’ve never seen such a request.”