The haze in Dubai really changes the landscape at sunrise, turning the traditional skyline photo into a soft, dreamlike silhouette.
Emerging from the haze, Dubai looks as if it has just awakened and is taking a moment to sharpen its focus. The dust obscures the view at the bottom, but the highest towers reach up to the blue sky. A busy day is coming, but this moment is one of mindful calm.
For photographers, haze in Dubai is not a problem to avoid but a creative opportunity. Some photographers now deliberately plan shoots around hazy mornings to get this distinctly moody quality that is very different from the usual clear-sky skyline of Dubai or the typical postcard of Burj Al Arab.
Photographing Dubai’s most ethereal angle
This photo was taken on a winter morning in Dubai as part of our PhotoPills expedition, where we took our workshop participants up to a rooftop and had exclusive access to a 360-degree view from the area of Palm Jumeirah.
The general idea was to shoot the Palm and the nearby Dubai Marina at sunrise, but the haze in Dubai presented me with a rare opportunity: getting the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab in a minimalistic composition, with everything else being covered by the haze with only those two peaks standing out from the skyline.
For a moment it looked like a sandstorm, but it was just the haze acting like a natural filter, making the colors less overpowering and the shapes gentler. The diffused light adds depth and makes skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab appear to float above the city.
I love the contrast between the blue sky and the sand particles during sunrise in Dubai. And I personally loved having that one cloud sitting on top of the whole scene, in contrast to the sandy haze below. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
Why is it so hazy in Dubai?
The haze in Dubai stems from a combination of natural and geographic factors. The intense heat dries out the desert, making it easy for fine sand and dust particles to lift into the air. This gives way to several phenomena like haze, fog and occasionally sandstorms.
Unlike the summer haze, winter fog is typically short-lived and dissipates by mid-morning, so if you want to photograph the haze in Dubai during winter, you should be setting up your gear at sunrise.
You should also know that Dubai experiences intense sandstorms, which are a completely different phenomenon in scale and intensity. It’s worth checking the forecast for sandstorms before a session!
My complete guide to photographing Dubai
From a supermoon over the Burj Khalifa to a super sunset in the desert, Dubai is a generous city for photographers, providing many and varied opportunities for spectacular shots. Because of this I created a comprehensive guide for photographers in Dubai, including all the buildings and spots worth checking, as well as general advice regarding when to visit, where to stay, how to behave and other frequent questions.
