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What Star Wars' in Abu Dhabi really means

The arrival of the well-loved franchise in the UAE could be great for tourism

How do you turn a city into a pop culture landmark? Just ask the people of Tataouine in Tunisia. Yes, that's actually a real city.

The world, of course, is more familiar with the name it inspired, Tatooine, the fictional planet and home of Anakin and Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies. And all because franchise creator George Lucas decided to film the first movie in and around Tunisia in 1977.

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So what does Star Wars' arrival in Abu Dhabi mean for the UAE?

A lot, according to Paul Baker, the executive director of twofour54 Intaj, the production company facilitating the film's production in the capital.

"Besides all the great locations, this proves that we are capable of handling, and have the infrastructure for, a massive Hollywood production here in Abu Dhabi and in the UAE," he tells tabloid!

Baker's company recently facilitated the filming of action movie Fast & Furious 7 and Bollywood film Bang Bangstarring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif.

The truth is, hosting a Star Wars shoot bides well for tourism. In Tunisia, government officials are now getting personally involved in the Save Mos Espa project, named after a fictional city in Tatooine, to raise funds to clear sand dunes and restore the fictional settlement. It's part of a plan to kick-start tourism in the country following the Arab Spring.

For now though, as far as Star Wars empire is concerned, it seems the desert sands have shifted in favour of Abu Dhabi.