Minhad is 09/27 rwy direction. They would have been approaching it at nearly an exactly perpendicular track where they came from after being too high at Dubai. There is nothing at all around the runway there so it would stand out if the runway lights were on. If anything, the theory that they put it down where they did on purpose sounds correct as at night, that area would have been the start of the blackness beyond the built up area.
This is a pretty good map of the area. If you scroll out on the scale and look notrth, it is nearly a straight line through the E311 intersection to DXB.
Dubai Minhad Airport Map | United Arab Emirates Airports