Los Angeles, Dec 2 (IANS) After hosting a portion of its shoot, Abu Dhabi will also host the Middle East premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on December 16 one day before its launch in the region.

According to sources, the red carpet gala will be held at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace. There might also be props from the film’s Abu Dhabi shoot in the Liwa desert, reports variety.com.

In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” parts of Abu Dhabi is shown as Jakku, which is a frontier desert planet in a remote section of the Outer Rim Territories.

The shooting of the latest “Star Wars” installment in Abu Dhabi took place in May 2014 with a crew of more than 650 working across two locations.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, is set to release on December 18 in India.