Ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter) Desert is the largest dune in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It covers about 430 thousand km within the borders of the Kingdom, which is 22 percent of the nation's total area. It is situated within three provinces: Eastern Province, Najran, and Riyadh.
Two main components are behind the formation of sand dunes in the Kingdom: continental sands from the Arabian-Nubian Shield, and marine sands from the Arabian Gulf. Sand dunes further grew and expanded due to the severity of drought and desertification.
Ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter) is home to all sand formations, such as longitudinal sand dunes in its southern and southwestern parts, as well as transverse sand dunes, barkhan dunes, Nawazi, and al-Ta'as. This desert also includes sabkhas, seasonal water resources, artesian wells, and a number of residential communities, such as Najran, Sharorah, al-Wadiah, and al-Sulayyil, live in some of its parts.
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