Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter)
The Rub' al Khali, or Empty Quarter, is the largest continuous sand desert in the world, 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, covering 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. It is one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.
Exploration
The Empty Quarter was crossed for the first time by Europeans in the 1930s, and its oil reserves were later developed. It remains a symbol of the vastness and harshness of the Arabian desert.