Rub’ al Khali, Saudi Arabia
The Rub' Al Khali, often known as the Empty Quarter, was coined by the Swiss geographer Burckhardt in his 1829 book "Travels in Arabia". It has an area of 225,000 square miles (583,000 square kilometers). Some sections of this fabled desert stretch into the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen, although the great majority of it is in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the Eastern Province, but also in Najran and Riyadh. You'll discover everything there is to know about this intriguing region of the Arabian Peninsula, including amazing facts and numbers about its history, geology, and climate. The moniker 'Empty Quarter' is apt considering the harsh atmosphere that does not enable anything to develop there. It is crucial to notice, however, that it does not distract from its attractiveness.
Superlatives abound in the Rub' Al-Khali. It is the world's largest contiguous sand desert; it has some of the highest dunes, with some reaching 250 meters; its hyper-arid climate is among the harshest, with typical annual rainfall of less than 3 centimeters; its temperatures reach above 50°C in summer... whereas sub-zero temperatures are common during winter nights! Sabkhas are another deadly characteristic of the Rub' Al-Khali. Sabkhas, which are feared by locals, are plains between large dunes that can be easily crossed in most situations, but in certain areas the ground is so soft that cars would become seriously stuck.
The Rub' Al-Khali was previously home to hippopotamuses, water buffalos, and long-horned animals, and shells may still be discovered on the severely parched land of its enormous plains. Some recent drillings in the Rub' Al-Khali that brought subsurface water to the surface provide a sense of how it could have appeared during more humid eras. It is very tempting to confront the perils of the Rub' Al-Khali in order to appreciate its majestic scenery and live the authentic desert experience, but due to the harsh circumstances of the Rub' Al-Khali, it is strongly advised to travel only with licensed excursions. Exploring it alone or with a single automobile, even if properly prepared, is clearly insane.
