The desert covering much of the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter is the Rub’ al Khali. Its Arabic name means “the Empty Quarter,” and it is the largest continuous sand desert in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Rub’ al Khali occupies roughly 650,000 square kilometres across southern Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is part of the larger Arabian Desert, but the Empty Quarter is especially known for immense dune fields, gravel plains, salt flats, and extreme aridity. Some dunes rise hundreds of metres above the surrounding landscape.
Although its environment is severe, the Rub’ al Khali is not entirely lifeless. Drought-adapted plants, rodents, scorpions, birds, and Arabian camels survive around scattered water sources and seasonal habitats. Bedouin groups historically crossed portions of the desert, and ancient frankincense trade routes passed through the region before desertification made travel more difficult.
The Nefud Desert lies in northern Saudi Arabia, while Wahiba Sands is a separate sand desert in Oman. Dasht-e Lut is in Iran, far beyond the Arabian Peninsula.