May the fourth be with you: Star Wars in the UAE – in pictures

In honour of Star Wars Day, look back to when the UAE became home to the biggest film franchise on earth

Part of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was filmed on location in the UAE, in the deep sands near Liwa, on the edge of the Empty Quarter. Courtesy Disney

Full camp set up view. Star Wars crew at Qasr Al Sarab, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mona Al-Marzooqi / The National

Arabian Tents has been gearing up for Ramadan for the past few months. The company previously supplied structures for blockbuster Hollywood movies, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Rolling out the structure for the set. Star Wars crew. Qasr Al Sarab, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mona Al-Marzooqi / The National

Handouts stills from a four-minute clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that J.J. Abrams showed at Comic Con San Diego that highlight the filming in Abu Dhabi last year. Courtesy Lucasfilm

Handouts stills from a four-minute clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that J.J. Abrams showed at Comic Con San Diego that highlight the filming in Abu Dhabi last year. Courtesy Lucasfilm

Handouts stills from a four-minute clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that J.J. Abrams showed at Comic Con San Diego that highlight the filming in Abu Dhabi last year. Courtesy Lucasfilm

Handouts stills from a four-minute clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that J.J. Abrams showed at Comic Con San Diego that highlight the filming in Abu Dhabi last year. Courtesy Lucasfilm

Twofour54 CEO Noura Al Kaabi and three Star Wars Stormtroopers paid a visit to children at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy of twofour54

Twofour54 CEO Noura Al Kaabi and three Star Wars Stormtroopers paid a visit to children at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy of twofour54

Provided image showing what the Aldar HQ building in Abu Dhabi will look like after the Star Wars screen is attached. Courtesy twofour

Middle East Games Con held at ADNEC. The city's largest Games and Anime conference. Cos Play characters from the Star Wars series. Antonie Robertson / The National

Middle East Games Con held at ADNEC. The city's largest Games and Anime conference. Cos Play characters from the Star Wars series. Antonie Robertson / The National

Middle East Games Con held at ADNEC. The city's largest Games and Anime conference. Cos Play characters from the Star Wars series. Antonie Robertson / The National

Members of Dubai's 501st Legion visit to the Dubai Mall 'Star Wars' exhibition.

From left: Dubai International Film Festival artistic director Masoud Amralla Al Ali, managing director Shivani Pandya and chairman Abdulhamid Juma on the red carpet with Stormtroopers. Getty

Rob Kaye as Chewbacca from Star Wars. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Shmaghtrooper by artist Mohammed Kanoo.

The fourth of May is widely known as Star Wars Day around the world, a pun on the infamous Jedi line, "May the force be with you."

Fans of the intergalactic franchise in the UAE were ecstatic when they found out that their city would play host to the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Episode Seven in the franchise. The movie was partly shot in the Liwa desert, the Abu Dhabi dunes were the setting for the planet of Jakku.

A handout photo of Star Wars: The Force Awakens showing L to R: Director JJ Abrams with actress Daisy Ridley (Rey) on set. Courtesy Disney

This year, fans anticipate the last film in the new trilogy, Episode Nine: Rise of the Skywalker. 

In this gallery, we remember when Star Wars mania hit the UAE, and how the capital had stormtrooper fever on every corner.

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Ramadan 2019: Eight new films to watch in UAE theatres

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