Al-Jafurah Desert

Al-Jafurah Desert (romanized: Al-Jāfūrah) is a sand dune area located in the southern part of a sandy terrain that extends from the border of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the State of Kuwait in the north to meet the sands of Al-Rub' Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) in the south, and between the coast of the Arabian Gulf in the east and Al-Suman Plateau in the west. Al-Jafurah Desert is closely linked to Saudi national history, as it was one of the key stops in the journey of the Founding King, Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, to recapture Riyadh in 1902. He stayed there for about fifty days as part of the plan to advance toward Riyadh.

Al-Jafurah sands are bounded by the coast of Dawhat Salwa and Al-Jibban to the east; by Al-Mustanah, Al-Ghawar, Samam Al-Amsha, Samman Haradh, and Samman Yabrin to the west; by Al-Bayda to the north; and by the sands of Al-Rub' Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) to the south, where they meet through Al-Sanam and Al-Surah south of Wadi As-Sahba', near latitude 23°15′N. To its north are the wells of Qalmat Nadqan, Bukhrah, and Umm Durus.

Al-Jafurah Desert is one of four main sand formations in Saudi Arabia. Its northern part—stretching westward from the Kuwaiti border and lying between the areas of Al-Khafji and Al-Jubail—is called “As-Sudah,” and takes the form of sand sheets. Its central parts are known as “Al-Bayda,” extending from Al-Jubail to Al-Uqayr and east of Al-Ahsa.

This is a transitional zone that shifts from sand sheets to scattered crescent-shaped dunes, where wild palm trees grow, along with patches of Ghada (Haloxylon persicum). Some of its dunes contain water resources. The southern part is represented by “Al-Jafurah Dunes.” Al-Jafurah covers an area of about 27,000 km², with a length of 270 km and a width ranging between fifty and 120 km, making it the roughest and most active section.

The sands at the meeting point of Al-Jafurah Desert with Al-Rub' Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) form crescent-shaped dunes, consisting of moving white, saline, and coarse sands that appear as interlocking dunes. Its eastern parts are particularly rugged, while in its western areas groups of sand dunes are spread out. Within these dunes lie ancient water resources, along with artesian wells drilled by Saudi Aramco, including Al-Zugain, Aba Al-Nawadis, Al-Hamrur, and Buraydah wells.

Al-Jafurah Desert was part of King Abdulaziz’s march to recapture Riyadh. He settled there after about four months spent moving between the edges of Al-Ahsa and the Yabrin Oasis. When pressures mounted due to restrictions on his men’s supplies and the monitoring of his movements near Al-Ahsa, he informed his men of a new plan based on secrecy and surprise. Al-Jafurah Desert provided a suitable environment with the necessary elements for the success of his strategy.

King Abdulaziz decided to remain completely concealed in Al-Jafurah in a plan to cut off news about him and mislead his opponents into believing that his activities had stopped and that he had returned to Kuwait, so that he could prepare for his advance toward Riyadh. Despite the harsh nature of Al-Jafurah Desert, with few wells, brackish water, and scarce grazing, King Abdulaziz stayed there with his men for about fifty days, from November 1901 until December 20, 1901. This period was sufficient to achieve his objective. He then moved on to the last stop before entering Riyadh, which was Abu Jafan.

Al-Jafurah Gas Field was discovered in 2014 and is the largest unconventional non-associated gas field in Saudi Arabia. Its reserves are estimated at about 229 trillion standard ft of gas and seventy-five billion stock tank bbl of condensates in its reservoirs as of 2023. It extends over an area of about 17,000 km² with a width of one hundred km. Al-Jafurah Gas Field development project is one of Saudi Aramco’s plans to increase gas production capacity by 60 percent between 2021 and 2030 to meet the growing demand.

Al-Jafurah Gas Field development project supports the transformation of the energy sector in Saudi Arabia by contributing to reducing carbon emissions and providing feedstock for the refining, processing, marketing, and petrochemical sectors. It also contributes to enhancing Saudi Aramco’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions, in addition to supporting the development of low-carbon fuels.