The Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter)
The Rub' al Khali is the largest continuous sand desert on Earth, an expanse of towering dunes covering much of southern Arabia.
Overview
The Rub' al Khali (Arabic: الربع الخالي, "the empty quarter") is the largest continuous sand desert in the world. It covers about 650,000 square kilometres of southern Arabia, including parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Geography
The desert is characterised by vast dunes, some rising more than 250 metres, and by extreme aridity, with almost no rainfall. Summer temperatures can exceed 50°C. It is one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.
Exploration and resources
The Empty Quarter was crossed for the first time by Europeans in the 1930s, most famously by the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger. Its oil reserves were later developed, and it remains a symbol of the vastness and harshness of the Arabian desert.
References
- Rub' al Khali \u2014 Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 5 October 2026)
- Arabian Sands \u2014 Penguin (accessed 5 October 2026)
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