A view of deep canyon with steep rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation in a desert landscape.

Geography

Geography

Written by: Nils Lindhorst Last updated at: May 21, 2025

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. To the northwest, the country borders the United Arab Emirates, to the west Saudi Arabia, and to the southwest Yemen. The 1,700-kilometer-long coast in the east forms a natural border. There, Oman borders the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf. The total area of the country is 309,000 square kilometers. Thus, the state is just slightly smaller than Germany. The territory includes the exclave Musandam at the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates separate Musandam from the rest of the country.

The relief in Oman is clearly recognizable. Both the north and the south are traversed by mountain ranges, in front of which lies a narrow coastal strip. In the middle is a large plain that borders the Indian Ocean to the east and the sand desert Rub al-Khali to the west.

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Rub al Khali

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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...