Today, Al-Bahiti is the commanding officer of the UAE's 501 st Legion Outpost - a 'Star Wars' fan group known for professional costuming and community outreach. 'There are some collectors who do collect 'Star Wars'' but none that I know of that are as big,' he said.
' where I keep all the toys from the '80s, and there are some items in my parents' house in Turkey.'Īl-Bahiti hasn't formally cataloged each item so there's no official confirmation he has the largest outside of Europe and the US - but from the looks of it, he smokes the competition. 'I also have more stuff in my climate-controlled warehouse,' Al-Bahiti told Tech Insider. The number of items Al-Bahiti acquired reaches well into the hundreds, with rooms in his house filled with books, action figures, vehicles, games, artwork, lightsabers, props, costumes, and more. Since there weren't as many movie theaters nearby, he waited until a a bootleg VHS copy came his way and was instantly hooked. He was about 6 when 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' premiered. Professionally, Al-Bahiti is a 44-year-old marketing consultant, but he's been collecting 'Star Wars' merchandise since he was a kid.
Living in Dubai, Omar Al-Bahiti reigns as one of the most well-known 'Star Wars' fans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the popularity of his extensive collection.
