Rub’ al Khali Desert, meaning “the empty quarter” in Arabic, got its name because it occupies about a quarter of the Arabian Peninsula, making it one of the largest deserts in the world. This desert covers the entire southern region of Saudi Arabia and most of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, with an area of approximately 650,000 square kilometers, exceeding the total area of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Also known as the “Arabian Desert,” Rub’ al Khali stretches in a northeast-southwest direction, measuring 1200 kilometers in length and approximately 640 kilometers in width, with a total area of 650,000 square kilometers. Due to its rich iron oxide content, the desert sands often appear red. Morphologically, Rub’ al Khali can be roughly divided into two major deserts from east to west. The eastern part, with an elevation of 100 to 200 meters, is mainly characterized by parallel large sand dunes, some of which reach heights of 300 meters and stretch for 20 kilometers, resembling nearly a sand mountain. In areas with higher groundwater levels, there are local oases, forming excellent pastures. The western part, with elevations ranging from 100 to 500 meters, consists mainly of gravel plains interspersed with marshes and salt lakes between the sand dunes.

Rub’ al Khali is the world’s largest continuous sand desert, where the movement of sand dunes is mainly driven by monsoons. Due to variations in wind direction and prevailing winds, the desert’s sand dunes are divided into three types of regions: the crescent-shaped sand dunes in the northeast, the star-shaped sand dunes in the eastern and southern edges, and the linear sand dunes in the entire western half.

Reasons to visit: One of the largest deserts in the world.

Continent: Asia

Country: Saudi Arabia

Provinces: Riyadh, Makkah, and Asir Provinces