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TravelTips24 : Asia : Middle East : Empty Quarter

Empty Quarter

The Empty Quarter (Arabic: Rub'al-Khali) is the expansive desert in the southeastern interior of the Arabian Peninsula, the largest continuous body of sand in the world.

Culture and History

It's tempting to call the Empty Quarter "no man's land", but that's not quite correct. Nomads do in fact inhabit parts of the Quarter at various times of year. And the territory is spoken for: the interior borders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen are in here... somewhere. It's just that no one has bothered to actually draw those lines in the sand. (Which is a pretty good indicator that there isn't even petroleum to be found here.)

Talk

Travel to Empty Quarter & Visa Requirements

By Car

  • In the UAE, the very northern edge of the Empty Quarter, is accessible from the Liwa Oasis, a 200 km drive from Abu Dhabi on excellent highways. The larger road, to Huwayiah, is lined with green date palms, and the other road (closer to Abu Dhabi), to Al Hamai'm, now has them growing as well -- nice for Emiratis looking to visit an oasis, but blocking the view of the desert for foreigners.
  • From Saudi Arabia, current rumours have it that travel is not permitted by the government.

Tours & Getting around Empty Quarter

By Car

A 4WD vehicle, or rather, a caravan of them is the only sane option for entering the soft sands of the desert. If you aren't a confident, experienced, well-equipped sand dune desert driver, Wikitravel cannot prepare you for something like the Empty Quarter.

On paved roads, in the UAE, a road passes through the oasis towns, and a drive is possible to Tal Mireb, the tallest dune in the country, which gives a few minutes of perspective on how vast and inhospitable this place is.

Empty Quarter attractions and sightseeing

Empty Quarter city tours

Empty Quarter Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Empty Quarter nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Stay safe

Get out

This page was last edited at 10:36, on 19 January 2008 by Wikitravel user ByeByeBaby. Based on work by Todd VerBeek.

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