Facts about the Arabian Desert
- 08
In 1991, the Arabian Desert's Rub' al Khali, or Empty Quarter, was crossed by explorer Ranulph Fiennes and his team across 1,300 kilometers of uninhabited terrain without resupply.
- 07
Sabkhas, salt flats covering roughly 25 percent of the Arabian Desert's surface, form when groundwater evaporates and leaves behind crystalline salt deposits that can reach depths of 30 meters.
- 06
Oil reserves beneath the Arabian Desert contain approximately 48 percent of the world's proven petroleum deposits, making it the planet's most petroleum-rich region.
- 05
Vast underground aquifers beneath the Arabian Desert contain fossil water that accumulated over 20,000 years ago during wetter climatic periods.
- 04
Bedouin populations have inhabited the Arabian Desert for over 2,000 years, developing sophisticated water management systems and breeding dromedary camels capable of surviving 10 days without drinking.
- 03
Approximately 30 percent of the Arabian Desert consists of sand dunes, while the remaining 70 percent is covered by gravel plains and rocky plateaus called hamada.
- 02
Temperatures in the Arabian Desert regularly exceed 50 degrees Celsius during summer months, with some locations recording peaks near 54 degrees Celsius in July and August.
- 01
Spanning approximately 2.3 million square kilometers across the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Desert is the second-largest hot desert on Earth after the Sahara.