"Sabah" was filmed in Toronto over a three-week period during the summer; a heat wave occurred during the filming. Nadda stated that she wanted to portray Toronto as being a beautiful city, contrasting with a gritty depiction found in other works. Luc Montpellier served as the film's lenser. Deborah Young of "Variety" stated that the film has "an attractive, brightly colored look." Nadda intentionally omitted any references to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the September 11, 2001 attacks, other acts of terrorism, and any resulting sentiment and actions against Arab Canadians.