Of all places the Sex and the City girls might choose from to go on vacation, they seemed to find Abu Dhabi the most alluring. The latest movie on Carrie Bradshaw and her Fifth Avenue girl pals features a vacation from New York City to the glamorous city of Abu Dhabi where they trade in the subway for rides on camels, shopping in fancy malls, and wearing turbans. The only thing is that all the Abu Dhabi scenes were filmed in Morocco. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai Officials banned producers from filming in the country. For those who live in the United Arab Emirates the reason why is pretty obvious- the sex girls can’t tell their tale here.
Even so, with the country’s great investment in the film industry such as bringing in the New York Film Academy, launching the Middle East International Film Festival, and the Circle film financing conference, the decision not to film in the UAE might be a bit of a surprise.
On a positive note, scenes filmed in Morocco where the girls ride camels and go to the market place might actually promote Abu Dhabi tourism. So even if the audience knows that the location is not actually the UAE, the fact that the movie is partially set in this destination might increase interest in the region.
For the New York City gal pals the trip to the Middle East is a chance to spend more time together and as it turns out, it was the longest time the actresses ever had to hang out. The girls are lured to Abu Dhabi by Samantha Jones whose ex-movie star boyfriend is filming an action movie. Carrie finds temptation in the desert when she runs into her own ex- Aidan (John Corbett) from the TV show. Does bumping into a past love in such an exotic part of the world mean something? The girls also struggle with differences pertaining to Western and Eastern perspectives regarding the social behavior of women. Who knows what you will uncover in the desert.
