The Desert Beyond: Female-led feature film to spotlight UAE’s pioneering steps into space

A new feature film inspired by the UAE’s remarkable rise in space exploration is set to commence production. The Desert Beyond is a female-led drama centred on a fictional story of the Arab world’s first female astronaut, capturing the nation’s pioneering journey into space and its vision to empower women in science and innovation.

Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker David Darg (Body Team Twelve, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, Maskoon) 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.

The film is executive produced by Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak (Seize the Summit), founder of Naiy Production House, an Emirati company focused on socially driven storytelling. It is produced by Carla DiBello (Electric Kingdom, Maskoon), founder of Arabia Plus, a UAE-based production company set up to tell regional stories for an international market which has already been producing documentaries and narrative shorts throughout the Middle East. DiBello is joined by award-winning producer Stephen Strachan (Scales, How I Got There) under his company Globa 3.

Her Excellency Nehal Badri, Secretary General of the Dubai Media Council, said: “The Dubai Films and Games Commission’s support for the project reflects our mission to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for media innovation. It also aligns with our efforts to foster international collaboration, nurture industry talent, and showcase Dubai’s growing capabilities as a world-class ecosystem for media and film production. Our support also reaffirms our dedication to advancing women’s role as drivers of progress, not only within the media industry, but across all spheres of life. We are equally committed to enabling the film industry and the broader media sector to share stories about the UAE’s pioneering spirit that continue to inspire new generations to shape a brighter future.”

“The Desert Beyond was inspired by the extraordinary efforts of the UAE’s space programme and the courage of figures like Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Emirati female astronaut,” says Executive Producer Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak. “This film celebrates transformation—personal, national, and generational. It’s about honouring our heritage as we take bold steps toward the future.”

“A story like this has never been told on screen,” adds Producer Carla DiBello. “We’re bringing 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.”

Since the establishment of the UAE Space Agency in 2014, the nation 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 Arab world’s first female astronaut — a milestone moment that echoes throughout the film.

The Desert Beyond is set to begin casting shortly. 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.