The National photographer Mona Al Marzooqi has captured what are believed to be the first images of Star Wars: Episode VII set deep in the Abu Dhabi desert.

The photos, taken on Tuesday morning in the dunes near Qasr Al Sarab resort, reveal a large encampment of tents with four to five workers moving around what appear to be parts of a filmset.

The National photographer Mona Al Marzooqi has captured what are believed to be the first images of Star Wars: Episode VII set deep in the Abu Dhabi desert.

The photos, taken on Tuesday morning in the dunes near Qasr Al Sarab resort, reveal a large encampment of tents with four to five workers moving around what appear to be parts of a filmset.

Things seem to be picking up pace around the Star Wars sets in the Abu Dhabi desert, with shooting expected to start on Tuesday and last until at least the end of the month.

Curious day-trippers are likely to be disappointed, however, as our sources report that police and army are checking all vehicles in the area and making sure that anyone who isn’t supposed to be there is sent quickly on their way.

Our sources also report that the sets are getting closer to completion, with a “whole world” having been built on an otherworldly salt lake at one location, a “shuttle-like” spacecraft, a large tower, a “big, centuries-old-looking market”, something the crew are reportedly referring to as the “alien house” and 10 to 15 “really fast buggies” powered by jet engines (landspeeders of Tatooine fame from the previous films, perhaps?)

We have also been told that two lorries of explosives have been brought to one of the sites under high security and that a blast crater has been created. So, it looks like the action in Abu Dhabi could be set to feature a major battle or spacecraft crash of some description.

We also learnt that a group of technicians from the United Kingdom and Los Angeles are currently on site applying the finishing touches before the shoot begins and that some, unnamed, members of the cast are already here and have been out in the dunes practising driving the vehicles they’ll be using when filming begins.

With some of the crew already here (a source told us they checked into an Abu Dhabi hotel on Tuesday) and the main shoot expected to last until at least the end of the month (almost three weeks – and possibly longer depending on hitches such as sandstorms delaying shooting), it certainly looks as if Abu Dhabi is set to play a major role in the new movie. Disney’s chairman Alan Horn’s recent remarks that “We did some second-unit work in Abu Dhabi” may have been a slight understatement.

Star Wars: Episode VII, which is rumoured to have the working title The Ancient Fear, stars famous names – old and new – with the lead trio from the original Star Wars trilogy, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hammill lining up alongside newcomers to the franchise such as Adam Driver and Max von Sydow, rumoured to be playing the new film’s lead villains. The film is due in cinemas in December 2015.

In Abu Dhabi right now, it's 10:46am, May 13, 2014...which means that Principal Photography on SW7 has very likely already begun.

Notice the sand on the clapper? Think it's a hint about the first location? Just my observation.

Cool!

That's actually me in the background. That's what a "Bandersnatch" looks like.

So, Tatooine again then...?

"If there's a bright centre to the universe, you're on... well, actually, you are standing right on it. Cool s**t happens here regularly..."

Remember the speculation around them, oh, 16 years ago?