Rub al Khali

The largest contiguous sand desert in the world, the Rub al Khali desert, also covers parts of southern Oman. 650,000 square kilometers of sand and stone – there is not much more to be found here. The desert is so inhospitable and so poor in oases that it is hardly inhabited. No wonder it is called ‘the empty quarter’, for that is exactly what ‘Rub al Khali’ means. Almost a third of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by it. It spans the territories of four countries: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates.

The largest desert on Earth has a lot to offer

In the Rub al Khali lies the largest currently known oil field in the world, but it is in the area that belongs to Saudi Arabia. What one can enjoy from the Omani side is the beauty and primitivity of the desert; the sand dunes, which rise between 200 and 300 meters high and run almost parallel to each other, and the vast and endless silence that this place brings. Hardly any other region in the world is so uninhabitable when it comes to settlement, so you will hardly meet anyone here. Even the Bedouins avoid the desert and only practice their camel herding on the fringes of the Rub al Khali. However, tours into the desert, preferably in guided groups and with sufficient provisions, are definitely worth it. The fascination of a sunrise or sunset in the desert, far away from all the disruptive lights of civilization, is something truly special. If you wish to stay in the desert during the early morning or late evening hours, you should, however, consider the temperature fluctuations that prevail there. Here, temperatures around freezing at night alternate with daytime temperatures around 60 degrees.

Rub al Khali – a desert with an incredible history

The Rub al Khali has not always been the barren and endless wasteland that it represents today. In the past, part of the incense road passed through the desert. Only around 300 AD did the crossing of the desert become increasingly difficult. There is a city in Arab history whose story prompted a certain T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, to refer to this city as the ‘Atlantis of the desert’ – Ubar. The city is said to have once been located on the edge of the desert and was infinitely wealthy. Because of its sinful behavior, its wickedness, and its poor handling of wealth, Ubar was ultimately punished by God according to the Quran – a story that somewhat resembles the biblical account surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah. Only the remains of Ubar seem to have been found. Satellite images of the desert showed ancient caravan routes that could be traced to the ruins of a city near present-day Shisr. Here, only a few kilometers from the beginning of the Rub al Khali, the legendary city of Ubar is said to have been located. Anyone wishing to visit the Rub al Khali from the Omani side will usually choose the route through Shisr to get there. On the way back, a detour to the ruins and excavation sites of Ubar is definitely worth it.