Wadi Rum, a protected desert valley, is in Jordan.
The valley lies in southern Jordan, about 60 kilometres east of Aqaba and near the Saudi Arabian border. Its landscape combines red sand, broad valleys, granite, sandstone cliffs and dramatic rock formations, earning it the nickname “Valley of the Moon.”
People have lived and travelled through Wadi Rum for thousands of years. Nabataean remains, rock inscriptions and petroglyphs—including carvings at Khaz'ali Canyon—record the area's importance along ancient routes linking Arabia with the Levant.
Wadi Rum became internationally famous after appearing in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, which helped launch Jordan's desert-tourism industry. Today, Bedouin communities provide guided 4x4 trips, camel rides, climbing excursions and overnight camp stays. The protected area became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2011.
A common mix-up is confusing Wadi Rum with deserts in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Although the landscape reaches close to that border, Wadi Rum itself is in Jordan.