I hear what you're saying, but aparently there are clouds in the deserts. ^^ But there are also images without clouds as well, so I guess it's a matter of taste. :)
really nice work, love the composition and colours :) here is a photo I took in the sahara http://i.imgur.com/rj13G.jpg one thing I noticed was how the sandstorms would connect from the dunes to the clouds above (you can see it in the distance) maybe not useful for this piece but maybe some wind/sand particle effects on…