Blog Archive

10 October 2006

Empty Quarter of Arabia – Rub Al Khali, Oman ,Salalah



The Empty Quarter is located in the Governorate of Dhofar in southern Oman, so it is better to fly to Oman through Salalah International Airport.





The Empty Quarter is the English name for the Rub’ Al Khali desert, located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the largest continuous sand sea in the world, with an area of 650,000 square kilometers (250,000 sq mi), and 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) long and 500 kilometers (310 mi) wide. The Al Rub’ Al Khali desert is shared by four countries: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.










The surface of the desert is covered by reddish-orange colored sand dunes, which reach around 250 meters (820 ft) high, and several lake beds. It is believed that the lake beds were originally shallow lakes formed by monsoon rains thousands of years ago, and only lasted for a few years.

Al Rub’ Al Khali, as one of the most significant sand seas in the world.

Visitors can enjoy a 4×4 drive in the desert or a camel ride, or camp out on the dunes. One of the best experiences in the Empty Quarter is to spend some time with the Bedouins of the desert. Visitors can enjoy listening to old stories about Oman, its culture and the desert. They will be introduced to the lifestyle, homes, and food of the Bedouin people.
The region is classified as “hyper-arid”, which means that it lacks water for the growth of plants or survival of animals. Rainfall is less than 3 cm (1.2 in) every year. The daily temperatures are between 47 °C (117 °F) and 51 °C (124 °F).


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