- Liwa’s towering sand dunes return as the fictional planet Arrakis.
- The third film spent 31 days shooting in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
- More than 600 UAE based people contributed to the production.
Abu Dhabi's vast Liwa Desert returns to the big screen as Arrakis in Dune: Part Three, with its towering dunes and expansive horizons once again providing the location for Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi saga.
Located in Abu Dhabi, Liwa is known for its sand dunes and remote desert landscape. Its scale and extraterrestrial terrain have helped filmmakers create the harsh, isolated world of Arrakis, where survival and control of resources shape the story.
Director Villeneuve has previously praised the scale and variety of Abu Dhabi’s dunes, describing their appearance as mesmerising. The desert’s changing light and sweeping horizons also help create the atmosphere seen throughout the films.
The location was first featured in Dune film released in 2021 and returned in Dune: Part Two in 2024. For the third part, filming in Abu Dhabi lasted 31 days, including two days in Al Ain.
Denis Villeneuve said that he designed shots around the landscape, explaining that the desert’s distinctive shapes and sense of nature’s power were central to his vision. The connection has grown with each film: for Dune: Part Three, the franchise’s exterior desert sequences were filmed exclusively in Abu Dhabi, cementing Liwa’s place in the visual identity of the sci-fi saga.
Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides, alongside Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh. Based on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah, the film follows Paul as he confronts the consequences of his rule.
The production’s return reflects the desert’s importance to the franchise’s name and identity. The film uses Liwa’s natural landscape to convey the vastness and hostility of Arrakis, rather than relying on studio sets.
The latest shoot also involved more than 600 UAE based people, including local crew members, contractors, stunt performers, interns and crowd scene participants. The Abu Dhabi Film Commission and Creative Media Authority supported the production, with Image Nation Studios serving as a production partner.
Dune: Part Three is scheduled to begin its international cinema release on December 16, 2026, with its North American release on December 18.
