Saudi Arabian Desert Facts
Saudi Arabian Deserts ;
- The highest elevation of the Arabian Desert is around 3760 meters above sea level.
- The deserts in Arabia have been evolving for around 540 millions year now and have reached the modern-day state only 1100 years ago.
- Arabian deserts are rich in oil, making a large part of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.
- Rub al Khali desert hosts 17 species of plants that can grow in sandy and coarse desert soil.
- The total area of the Arabian desert is an astounding 2,330,000 square k
Saudi Arabian Desert Climate
The weather in the deserts of Saudi Arabia is extremely hot during summers and mild in winters. Summer maximum temperatures can reach up to 55 Degrees Celsius, while the winter’s lowest temperature can seep down below the freezing point at some locations.
The average rainfall in these deserts can range from 4 to 20 inches a year. The rain is generally accompanied by dust storms and spring haze. The best time for tourism to the Arabian desert is in spring and autumn, when the temperature remains moderately pleasing at all times of the day.
Popular Saudi Arabian Deserts
1. Rub Al Khali – Known as The Empty Quarter
Rub Al Khali is an endless horizon of gently rolling sand dunes rising from the ground, with the highest dunes reaching 250 meters. Its overall size is around 650,000 sq km. The desert expands in the southern part of the Arabian Desert, including parts of Saudi Arabia (mainly the eastern province and Najran, Riyadh), United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. The massive Rub Al Khali dunes are a collection of different sand dunes with vertical, crescent, and dome-shaped dunes. Watch out for Sabka, a soft plain between huge sand dunes.
2. Al Nufud Al Kabir – The great Nufud desert
As the name suggests, Al Nufud Al Kabir is the largest and most famous dune in Saudi Arabia. It is at an elevation of 700-1000 meters above sea level. The pristine golden sand stretches 90 km from Jubbah town to Sakaka city and 300 km from Al-Zulfi to the castle border. It is spread over 103,600 km in the provinces of Hail, Al-Juf, and Tabuk.
3. Jubbah desert – Lying on the ancient lake bed
Jubbah Desert resembles a huge rock canyon with linear dunes. It is one of Saudi Arabia’s famous petroglyph sites dating back to the Paleolithic times. The city of Jubbah in Hail is rich in agriculture, despite being set against the rugged sand dunes of the Al Nufud desert.
4. Ad Dahna desert – A series of seven deserts
Dahna is located along the Dammam highway 80 kilometers east of Riyadh. Ad Dahna desert, also known as the Small Al Nufud desert, serves as a sandy bridge between the mighty Al Nufud desert and ‘The Empty Quarter’.
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