The towers appear to rise up out of the haze, like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie set centuries in the future.
Except this is Dubai Marina and the image was shot on Tuesday, when the UAE was in the grip of the tail end of a dust storm that had swept in from Iraq.
It was taken by amateur photographer Nilesh Trivedi from the balcony of his home in the Lakes at dusk.
“It was so unusual to see that,” said Mr Trivedi, 49, from Zimbabwe, who has lived in the UAE for 15 years.
“It was as if the buildings were rising out of the dust, the desert. It almost looked like a modern Arabian Nights kind of scene.
“You don’t normally see this amount of dust in the air in Dubai. This was really something unprecedented.”
Mr Trivedi first got into nature photography back home, and became interested in weather after his move.
He now heads out in any type of unusual conditions, tipped off by meteorology hobbyist Howard Townsend, who runs the Unofficial UAE Weather and Information group on Facebook.
Mr Trivedi shares all his pictures of the sky around Dubai on the social media page, sometimes attracting dozens of likes and comments.
“I am very interested in finding out what the weather conditions are going to be like," he said. "It’s always nice to have a little bit of notice to know when lightning is going to come or it’s going to be cloudy.
“So I joined the group for that. And through that I have come to know you get a bit of advanced notice to know when there will be a change in the weather. That helps me to be ready.”
The UAE has been experiencing severe dust storms since Tuesday.
Official weather stations have been registering hazardous air quality in many areas since, with the scale reaching as high as 684 near Al Ain on Thursday morning. Experts say anything higher than 250 can have an immediate effect on health.
The hot and dusty conditions will remain for the next few days, with National Centre of Meteorology issuing a warning of blowing sand and dust until Sunday.
Sand and dust storms hit parts of the Mena region - in pictures
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A picture taken from Muharraq Island shows a sandstorm engulfing the skyline of Bahrain's capital Manama. The Middle East's sandstorms are becoming more frequent and intense, a trend associated with overgrazing and deforestation, overuse of river water and more dams. AFP -
Massive dust and sand storms have descended on the Gulf this week, bringing extraordinarily high levels of dust and pollutants, particularly in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Bahrain's capital Manama (pictured) has been similarly affected. AFP -
Children play outside during a sandstorm on Muharraq Island, north of the Bahraini capital Manama. People in the Mena region are being advised to stay indoors, especially babies and at-risk groups, and to avoid physical exercise. AFP -
Cars on a highway in the Bahrain Financial Harbour area during a dust storm in the capital Manama. People in the Gulf are accustomed to frequent sand and dust storms and have attached the Arabic word “Shamal”, which means northern, to the phenomenon owing to the direction of the winds. AFP -
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is obscured by a haze of sand and dust in Abu Dhabi. Winds have reached 40 kilometres an hour in the capital. Victor Besa / The National -
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is almost hidden by dust. Visibility was down to a few hundred metres in the city. Victor Besa / The National -
Jumeirah Lakes Towers in a hazy Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Strong winds stir up dust and sand in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
The Kingdom Centre skyscraper in Riyadh during a dust storm. AFP -
The 302-metre building is almost obscured by dust. AFP -
Saudi Arabia's National Centre for Meteorology issued alerts for large parts of the kingdom, including Riyadh and the Eastern Province. AFP -
A haze of dust covers Riyadh's skyline. AFP -
Dust storms created hazardous conditions for drivers in Kuwait City, where winds reached 50kph. EPA -
A man waits to cross a road in Kuwait City as orange-red dust blows in the air. AFP -
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior urged the public to exercise caution as dust severely reduced visibility. AFP -
Schools in Kuwait were closed owing to the weather. AFP -
Towers in Dubai Marina are hard to see through the dust. Pawan Singh / The National -
Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel in the haze. Pawan Singh / The National -
Beachgoers view a hazy skyline at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The conditions appear to be the tail of a storm that covered Iraq. Pawan Singh / The National -
Cars drive on a highway in the Seef district during a dust storm in Bahrain's capital Manama. AFP -
Cars drive on the main highway during a dust storm in the Bahraini capital Manama. AFP -
Haze obscures the dhow harbour in Doha, Qatar, during a heavy dust storm. AFP -
Haze obscures Doha's skyline. AFP -
A man covers his face with a scarf in Doha during a heavy dust storm. AFP -
A sandstorm covers Tehran, Iran. Schools and government offices closed in the Iranian capital and elsewhere in the country. AP Photo -
Iraqis walk along a street at the Shorja market shrouded in heavy dust in central Baghdad. EPA -
People with breathing problems are treated at a hospital during a sandstorm in Baghdad. AP Photo -
People travel along a street during a sandstorm in Baghdad. AP Photo -
A patient suffering from breathing problems at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province. AFP -
People walk on a street in Baghdad during a sandstorm. AP -
A man walks along the Euphrates river in Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province during a heavy dust storm. AFP -
The dust has affected visibility at Abu Dhabi's Corniche. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Abu Dhabi city is difficult to see through the dust. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
The Marina Mall area in Abu Dhabi is obscured by the dust. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Adnoc headquarters in the capital amid the dust storm. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Qasr Al Watan is obscured by a haze of sand and dust in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Museum of the Future during the dust storm in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Burj Khalifa obscured by the dusty and hazy weather in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Abras on Dubai creek during the dusty weather. Pawan Singh / The National
