Instagram Facebook

United Arab Emirates April 2024

United Arab Emirates:
April 2024

Photographic Adventure Overview

Join me for a 10-day photographic expedition through the vast, untamed deserts of the UAE, where golden dunes rise like waves, stretching endlessly into the horizon. These towering sand formations—some reaching over a hundred meters high—create a surreal, ever-changing landscape shaped by the wind and the light. Each day, we’ll immerse ourselves in this desert wonderland, where the interplay of sun and shadow transforms the dunes into abstract sculptures.

From the vast expanse of the Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali) to the textured beauty of the Liwa Oasis, we’ll capture the essence of the Arabian desert, a place where silence reigns and time seems to stand still. The mornings and evenings offer soft, golden light, perfect for capturing the subtle curves and shifting textures of the sand, while the midday heat brings dramatic contrast to this stark environment. This journey is an invitation to witness the desert’s timeless beauty and create images that reflect its vast, meditative stillness.

10 days

04 April 2024

The itinerary

Day 1

After a journey lasting more than 7 hours, the first day is devoted to adjusting to the local climate and time, which will be essential for the following days.
Sheikh Zayed's Grand Mosque reflected in the water at sunset, in Abu Dhabi

Day 2

The first adventures begin, for now in the deserts bordering the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are smaller and easier to reach and will allow us to have an incredible first experience.
During these first photo sessions, we will try to adapt to temperatures that often exceed 30 degrees.
The sun illuminates the desert landscape of the United Arab Emirates, where the texture of the sand meets some rocks and tufts of grass
The wind sweeps across the desert landscape of the United Arab Emirates, raising sand clouds
A clump of green grass emerges amidst the orange sand of the Arabian desert, its texture highlighted by the light of the setting sun.

Day 3

On the third day we will move away from the cities, entering deeper into the desert areas. Our adventure will take us into vast deserts that stretch for miles, as far as we can see.
Weather permitting, we will do a night astrophotography session, taking advantage of one of the darkest areas of the country.
A few green bushes sprout among the sand dunes in one of the deserts of the United Arab Emirates
The imposing dunes of one of the deserts of the Arab Emirates are swept by the wind
A few green bushes sprout among the sand dunes in one of the deserts of the United Arab Emirates

Day 4

After spending the night and watching the sunrise over the desert, it is time to return to our accommodation where we can rest for most of the day.
In the afternoon, we can enter the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, probably one of the most important architectural works in the country.
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at dawn
Detail of the white and gold domes of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
Detail of the entrance and the white and gold domes of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Day 5

On the fifth day we return to the desert to photograph the sunset among the dunes, returning for dinner.
The many layers of desert dunes in the Arab Emirates turn red at dawn
Impressive Arabian desert dunes lit by the last light of the sun
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at sunset

Day 6

Today we will move further into Rub’ al-Khali, one of the largest deserts in the world, where we will explore different sections of the desert in another sunset session.
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at sunset
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at sunset
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at sunset

Day 7

After resting in the morning we will enter the desert towards the afternoon in search of interesting compositions and wait for darkness to come for another astrophotography session.
In the picture taken in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, several dunes overlap each other creating different levels.
In this photo taken in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, the dune crests rise sinuously, generating undulating shapes.
Huge sand mountain characterised by differently coloured dunes in the United Arab Emirates
The arc of the milky way above the dunes of the Arabian desert, a figure in white illuminates the scene with a lamp. Panoramic astrophotograph taken in the United Arab Emirates

Day 8

After watching the sunrise over the desert, we return to the accommodation to rest. If we feel like it, we can return to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque for an evening session, a moment when the building looks like something out of a fairy tale.
The desert dunes of the Arab Emirates turn red at dawn, several green grass bushes emerge from the sand
One of the marvellous inner rooms of Sheikh Zayed's Grand Mosque, above a huge hand-embroidered carpet hangs a gigantic, colourful crystal chandelier
One of the bright white corridors of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, brightened by evening lights

Day 9

On the ninth day we will have a quieter day in which we can take our time visiting Dubai and perhaps choose to visit a village buried in the desert, where time seems to have frozen.
The unique Museum of the Future stands out among the skyscrapers of Dubai
One of the largest and most spectacular road intersections in Dubai captured from the top floor of a skyscraper, Burj Khalifa in the background
An abandoned village sinks into the desert sands in the United Arab Emirates, the rooms of the buildings are filled with red sand
An abandoned village sinks into the desert sands in the United Arab Emirates, the rooms of the buildings are filled with red sand

Day 10

Today our adventure comes to an end, after a short tour of the city we head to the airport to return home.
The Dubai skyline is framed by a peculiar architectural structure, a bird passes over the Burj Khalifa

Contact me for information on this adventure!

Copyright © 2025 by Matteo Strassera. Privacy Policy.

matteostrasseph@gmail.com

Instagram Facebook

This content is protected by copyright