Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali)

Southern Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia

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The Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali), located in southern Saudi Arabia and extending into Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, is the largest continuous sand desert in the world.

Covering about 650,000 square kilometers, it is a vast landscape of towering sand dunes, gravel plains, and salt flats stretching across much of the southern Arabian Peninsula. The desert is famous for its immense dunes, some reaching heights of over 250 meters, and for its extreme climate, with very little rainfall and summer temperatures often exceeding 50°C.

Despite its harsh environment, evidence of ancient lakes, wildlife, and past human activity has been discovered beneath its sands, revealing a much wetter past. Often described as one of the most remote and awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth, the Empty Quarter has long been part of Arab history, culture, and exploration. Its dramatic scenery, vast emptiness, and hidden reserves of oil and natural gas make it one of the most remarkable natural regions in Saudi Arabia.