What is the World's Largest Continuous Sand Desert?

   Najran, December 12, 2025, SPA -- Al-Rub' Al-Khali (Empty Quarter), which occupies the southeastern third of the Arabian Peninsula, is the world's largest contiguous sand desert, covering 640,000 square kilometers—about 67.7% of Saudi Arabia's dunes.
   The desert is characterized by towering dunes reaching heights of up to 300 meters. Its sand formations vary, including crescent, elongated ("uruq"), and star-shaped dunes, alongside prevalent salt flats formed after rainfall.
   Al-Rub' Al-Khali is rich in significant natural resources, including oil and natural gas in the massive Shaybah and Ghawar fields; minerals such as gypsum, rock salt, and glass sand; and groundwater from the Wajid aquifer, which supplies drinking water to Najran Region.
   The desert also contains important archaeological sites, such as Uruq Al-Mundafan and Uruq Bani Ma'arid reserve north of Najran.
   -- SPA