Photo essay: 7 moods of the Dubai winter sky caught by a Gulf News reader photographer

"For seven months in a year nearly there are not many clouds in the UAE sky, so when I see so many of them, it is incredible. As an architect, it is the difference between photographing a building without any details or shadows, it is just blank. The same way a sky without clouds is without those details. This is my perspective."

"All the pictures in this photo essay were taken over the past five days - the many moods of the sky. Shows you how fast it was changing."

"I like taking pictures. I’m an amateur photographer. I’m an architect by profession but I’ve been taking pictures from my college days, for about 8 years."

“I love taking pictures of the Dubai skyline. It is a great stress reliever. As an architect from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, south India, when I think futuristic city, I think Dubai. This is the future.”

"When I take pictures of the Dubai skyline, it gives me a sense of freedom. In fact, I did this sunset as a time-lapse video."

Arief Umar has been working as an architect in the UAE for the past two years and is based in Dubai. He sends in submissions to readers@gulfnews.com regularly. You can too.

Arief Umar caught a rainy Dubai night sky through the windscreen of a car, creating a surreal effect.