DUBAI: A new feature film portraying the UAE’s space exploration is set to commence production.
The female-led drama, titled “The Desert Beyond”, centers on a fictional story of the Arab world’s first female astronaut, capturing the nation’s journey into space and its vision to empower women in science and innovation.
Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker David Darg will direct the 90-minute drama, which will be filmed in Dubai and across the UAE. The film is supported by the Dubai Films and Games Commission.
A fusion of emotional drama and aspirational space narrative, The Desert Beyond follows Maryam, a young Emirati engineer competing for the nation’s first female astronaut mission. As she goes through a rigorous selection process, Maryam confronts national expectations, inner doubt, and her family’s legacy — ultimately discovering that the strength to move forward may lie in the wisdom of the past.
Casting for the movie is set to begin this month.
Rasha Khalifa Al-Mubarak, the film’s executive producer and founder of Naiy Production House, said the film was inspired by the UAE’s female astronaut first, Nora Al-Matrooshi, and by the extraordinary efforts of the UAE’s space programme.
“This film celebrates transformation—personal, national, and generational. It’s about honouring our heritage as we take bold steps toward the future,” she said.
Producer Carla DiBello, founder of Arabia Plus, said the film brings “a female-driven story from the Arab world to a global audience—one that shows women not only breaking barriers, but defining what leadership and growth look like in the Middle East today.”
She added: “A story like this has never been told on screen.”
DiBello is joined by award-winning producer Stephen Strachan under his company Globa 3.
Nehal Badri, Secretary General of the Dubai Media Council, said the Dubai Films and Games Commission’s support for the project reaffirms “dedication to advancing women’s role as drivers of progress, not only within the media industry, but across all spheres of life.”
Since the establishment of the UAE Space Agency in 2014, the UAE has launched the Emirates Mars Mission, sent astronauts Sultan Al-Neyadi and Hazza Al-Mansoori to the International Space Station, and celebrated Nora Al-Matrooshi as the UAE’s first female astronaut — a milestone moment that echoes throughout the film.
Capstone Pictures is handling worldwide sales, while Front Row Filmed Entertainment will oversee distribution across the Middle East and North Africa.
A theatrical release is planned, followed by international streaming distribution.
