View source for Rub' al Khali

{{Short description|Desert in the Arabian Peninsula}}
{{Infobox valley
|name               = Rub' al Khali
|other_name         = {{lang|ar|ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي}}
|photo              = Rub al Khali 002.JPG
|photo_caption      = Sand dunes to the east of [[Liwa Oasis]] in the [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]], near the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]]'s border with [[Saudi Arabia]]
<!--    MAP     -->
|map                = 
|map_image          = Rub-al-Jali.svg
|map_caption        = Location of the Empty Quarter in the Arabian Peninsula
<!--  Location  -->
|location           = 
|country            = {{KSA}}
|country1           = {{OMN}}
|country2           = {{UAE}}
|country3           = {{YEM}}
|region             = 
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|district           = 
|city               = 
|relief             = 
|label              = 
|label_position     = 
|coordinates        = {{Coord|20|50|type:landmark|display=it}}
|coordinates_ref    = 
<!-- Statistics -->  
|elevation          = 
|elevation_m        = 
|elevation_ft       = 
|elevation_ref      = 
|length             = 
|length_mi          = 621.371 
|length_km          = 1000 
|length_orientation = 
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|width              = 
|width_mi           = 
|width_km           = 500 
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|area               = 
|area_mi2           = 
|area_km2           = 650010
|depth              = 
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The '''Rub' al Khali'''<ref group="note">Other [[Arabic transliteration|standardized transliterations]] include: {{Transliteration|ar|ar-Rubʻ al-Khālī}}/{{Transliteration|ar|Wehr|ar-rubʿ al-ḵālī}}. The ''{{Transliteration|ar|ar-}}'' is the [[Sun and moon letters|assimilated]] Arabic [[definite article]], ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-}}'', which can also be transliterated as ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-}}''.</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|ʊ|b|_|æ|l|_|ˈ|k|ɑː|l|i}};<ref>[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/rub-al-khali "Rub' al Khali"]. ''[[Collins English Dictionary]]''.</ref> {{langx|ar|ٱلرُّبْع ٱلْخَالِي}}, {{IPA|ar|ar.rʊbʕ‿al.χaːliː|}}) or '''Empty Quarter''' is a [[desert]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Saudi Arabia: an environmental overview |year=2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-41387-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vacv2wy3yd8C&pg=PA141 |author=Peter Vincent |access-date=22 August 2010 |page=141}}</ref> encompassing most of the southern third of the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. The desert covers some {{convert|650000|km2|abbr=on}} (the area of [[longitude|long.]] 44.5°−56.5°E, and [[latitude|lat.]] 16.5°−23.0°N), including parts of [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Oman]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], and [[Yemen]].<ref name="Lakes">{{cite journal |url=https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/198903/lakes.of.the.rub.al-khali.htm |access-date=22 August 2010 |pages= 28–33 |first= Arthur |last= Clark |date= June 1989 |title=Lakes of the Rub' al-Khali |journal= Saudi Aramco World |volume= 40 |issue= 3 |issn= 0003-7567 |editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Amdt}}</ref> It is part of the larger [[Arabian Desert]].

==Description==
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=
 |image1=Rub al Khali 001.JPG |caption1=Typical pale gravel plains surrounded by huge sand dunes, as seen in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
 |image2=Water in shaybah.JPG |caption2=Water found below ground level in the ''Rub' al-Khali'' in [[Shaybah]], Saudi Arabia
}}

===Terrain===
The desert is {{convert|1,000|km|mile|abbr=off}} long, and {{convert|500|km|mile|abbr=off}} wide.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rub' al-Khali {{!}} Map, Location, Meaning, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Rub-al-Khali |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Its surface elevation varies from {{convert|800|m}} in the southwest to around sea level in the northeast.<ref name = Desert>{{WWF ecoregion |name = Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands|id=pa1303|access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> Most of the terrain is [[Erg (landform)|ergs]], with [[sand]] [[dune]]s up to {{convert|250|m}} high, interspersed with gravel and [[gypsum]] plains.<ref name = Lakes /><ref name = Desert /> The sand is reddish-orange due to the presence of [[feldspar]].<ref name = Desert />

There are also brackish salt flats in some areas, such as the [[Umm al Samim]] area on the desert's eastern edge.<ref name = Desert /> [[Ali Al-Naimi]] reports that the sand dunes do not drift. He goes on to say,
<blockquote>
Sand blows off the surface, of course, but the essential shape of the dunes remains intact, probably due to the moisture leaching up into the base of the dunes from the surrounding [[sabkha]]s.<ref name=Ali/>{{rp|213}}
</blockquote>

====Lake beds====
Along the middle length of the desert, there are several raised, hardened areas of [[calcium carbonate]], gypsum, [[marl]], or clay that were once the site of shallow lakes. These lakes existed during periods from 6,000 to 5,000 years ago and 3,000 to 2,000 years ago. The lakes are thought to have formed as a result of "cataclysmic rainfall" similar to present-day [[monsoon]] rains and most probably lasted for only a few years. However, lakes in the [[Mundafan|Mundafen]] area in the southwest of the Rub' al Khali show evidence of such lakes lasting longer, up to 800 years, from increased runoff from the [[Tuwaiq Escarpment]].<ref name = Lakes />

Evidence suggests that the lakes were home to a variety of flora and fauna. Fossil remains indicate the presence of several animal species, such as [[hippopotamus]], [[water buffalo]], and [[Aurochs|long-horned cattle]]. The lakes also contained small snails, [[ostracods]], and when conditions were suitable, [[freshwater clams]]. Deposits of calcium carbonate and [[opal]] [[phytolith]]s indicate the presence of plants and algae. There is also evidence of human activity dating from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago, including chipped [[flint]] tools, but no actual human remains have been found.<ref name = Lakes />

===Climate===
The region is classified as "[[hyper-arid]]", with annual precipitation generally less than {{convert|50|mm}}, and daily mean relative humidity of about 52% in January and 15% in June–July.<ref name=":1" />{{Failed verification|date=September 2024}}

===Biodiversity===
Fauna includes [[arachnid]]s (e.g. [[scorpion]]s) and [[rodents]], while plants live throughout the Empty Quarter. As an [[ecoregion]], the Rub' al Khali falls within the [[Arabian Desert|Arabian Desert and East Saharo-Arabian xeric shrublands]].<ref name = Desert /> The [[Asiatic cheetah]], once widespread in Saudi Arabia, is extirpated.<ref>Durant, S.; Mitchell, N.; Ipavec, A. & Groom, R. (2015). "''Acinonyx jubatus''". ''[[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]]''. '''2015''': e.T219A50649567. [[Doi (identifier)|doi]]:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T219A50649567.en.</ref>

===Oil===
The [[Shaybah]] oil field was discovered in 1968. South [[Ghawar Field|Ghawar]], discovered in 1948, is the largest oil field in the world and extends southward into the northernmost parts of the Empty Quarter.<ref name=Ali/>{{rp|212,228}}

===Transport===
A road between Oman and Saudi Arabia,<ref name="TheNational 07-2021">{{cite news |last=Al Shaibany |first=Saleh |title=Oman-Saudi road to save 16 hours travel time nears completion: New road cuts through the Empty Quarter and will be a lifeline for trade between the two countries |publisher=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2021/07/06/oman-saudi-road-to-save-16-hours-travel-time-nears-completion/ |date=2021-07-06 |access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref><ref name="GulfNews 07-2021">{{cite news |last=Al Amir |first=Khitam |title=New Saudi-Oman road to cut land travel time by 16 hours: Travel between two countries to get lot easier; road is 800km in length |publisher=[[Gulf News]] |location=[[Dubai]], the [[United Arab Emirates|U.A.E.]] |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/new-saudi-oman-road-to-cut-land-travel-time-by-16-hours-1.80489647 |date=2021-07-07 |access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref> through the Empty Quarter, was completed in September 2021.<ref name="TheNational 09-2021">{{cite news |last=Al Shaibany |first=Saleh |title=Oman-Saudi desert road will breathe new life into sleepy villages: 700-km motorway to cut through the Empty Quarter, bringing trade to once-abandoned areas |publisher=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2021/09/06/desert-road-from-oman-to-saudi-arabia-will-breathe-new-life-into-sleepy-villages/ |date=2021-09-06 |access-date=2021-11-09}}</ref> Measuring between {{convert|700|and|800|km|mile|abbr=off}}, it extends from [[Ibri]] in Oman to [[Al-Ahsa Oasis|Al-Ahsa]] in [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|eastern Saudi Arabia]]. A {{convert|160|km|mile|adj=on}} stretch of the road is on the Omani side and {{convert|580|km|mile|abbr=on}} is on the Saudi side.<ref name="TheNational 07-2021" /><ref name="GulfNews 07-2021" /> The road also goes through the [[archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn|archaeological sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn]] in Oman.<ref name="TheNational 09-2021" />

== People ==
The inhabitants of the Empty Quarter are members of various local tribes: for example, the [[Al Murrah]] tribe has the largest area, mainly based between [[Al-Ahsa Oasis|Al-Ahsa]] and [[Najran Province|Najran]]. The [[Banu Yam]] and [[Banu Hamdan]] are in Yemen and the Najran region of southern Saudi Arabia, and the [[Bani Yas]] are in the United Arab Emirates. A few road links connect these tribal settlements to the area's water resources and oil production centers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bedouins of the Empty Quarter |url=https://mattreichel.com/work/bedouins-of-the-empty-quarter |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Matt Reichel |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Rub' al Khali (Arabian Empty Quarter) sand dunes imaged by Terra (EOS AM-1).jpg|thumb|right|Satellite image of sand dunes in the Empty Quarter]]

[[Desertification]] has increased through recent millennia. Before desertification made the [[Camel train|caravan]] trails leading across the Rub' al Khali difficult, the caravans of the [[frankincense]] trade crossed now virtually impassable stretches of land, until about 300 AD.<ref>{{cite journal |first=G. W. |last=Van Beek |title=Frankincense and myrrh in ancient South Arabia |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |year=1958 |volume=78 |issue=3 |pages=141–152 |jstor=595284 |doi=10.2307/595284}}</ref> It has been suggested that [[Iram of the Pillars|Ubar or Iram]], a [[lost city]], region, or people,<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ubar/zarins/ Interview with Dr J. Zarins, Nova Online, Sept. 1996]</ref> depended on such trade.<ref>{{cite journal |first=B. |last=Thomas |title=Ubar—the Atlantis of the sands of rub' Al Khali |journal=[[Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society]] |year=1993 }}</ref> The archaeological remains of [[Iram of the Pillars|Iram]] include a fortification/administration building, walls, and bases of circular pillars. The traces of camel tracks, unidentifiable on the ground,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ubar |url=https://madainproject.com/ubar |website=Madain Project |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> appear in satellite images.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=J. |last1=Fisher |first2=B. |last2=Fisher |title=The use of KidSat images in the further pursuit of the frankincense roads to Ubar |journal=IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing |volume=37 |issue=4 |year=1999 |pages=1841–1847 |doi= 10.1109/36.774697|bibcode=1999ITGRS..37.1841F }}</ref>

===Expeditions===
The first documented journeys by non-resident explorers were made by British explorers [[Bertram Thomas]] and [[St John Philby]] in the early 1930s. Between 1946 and 1950, [[Wilfred Thesiger]] crossed the area several times and mapped large parts of the Empty Quarter including the mountains of Oman, as described in his 1959 book ''[[Arabian Sands]]''.<ref name=Morton>{{cite journal | author=Morton, Michael Q. | title=Thesiger and the Oilmen | journal=Journal of the Petroleum History Institute | date=December 2013 | volume=14 | pages=125–39 | url=https://www.academia.edu/7205667}}</ref><ref name="Ali">{{cite book |last1=Al-Naimi |first1=Ali |title=Out of the Desert |date=2016 |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |location=Great Britain |isbn=9780241279250 |pages=211}}</ref>

[[File:09 proti Hadramavtu (9).jpg|thumb|Sand dunes of the desert in [[Hadhramaut]], [[Yemen]]]]

In June 1950, a [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]] expedition crossed the Rub' al Khali from [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia, to central Yemen and back<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zianet.com/tmorris/june1950expedition-1.jpg|format=JPG|title=Photographic image|website=Zianet.com|access-date=2017-08-10}}</ref> in trucks to collect specimens for the [[Smithsonian Institution]] and to test desert survival procedures.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ted A. Morris |url=http://www.zianet.com/tmorris/dhahran.html |title=US Air Force Air Sea Rescue in Saudi Arabia 1950–1951 |publisher=Zianet.com |access-date=2011-04-09}}</ref>

In 1999, [[Jamie Clarke (adventurer)|Jamie Clarke]] became the first Westerner to cross the Empty Quarter of Arabia in fifty years. His team of six, guided by three [[Bedouin]]s, spent 40 days crossing the desert with a caravan of 13 camels.<ref>''Everest to Arabia''. Clarke J. Azimuth Inc. 2000</ref>

On 25 February 2006, a scientific excursion organized by the [[Saudi Geological Survey]] began to explore the Empty Quarter. The expedition consisted of 89 environmentalists, geologists, and scientists from Saudi Arabia and abroad. Various types of fossilized creatures as well as meteorites were discovered in the desert. The expedition discovered 31 new plant species and plant varieties, as well as 24 species of birds that inhabit the region, which fascinated scientists as to how they have survived under the harsh conditions of the Empty Quarter.<ref>{{cite web|author=Saudi Geological Survey |url=http://www.sgs.org.sa/English/Desert_Studies/Pages/default.aspx |title=Desert Studies |access-date=2011-10-28}}</ref>

In February 2013, a South African team including Alex Harris, Marco Broccardo, and David Joyce became the first people to cross the border close to Oman of the Empty Quarter unsupported and on foot,<ref>{{cite web|title=Feature Report- 17 March- Empty Quarter Expedition|url=http://www.city7tv.com/news_details.aspx?id=445|work=City 7 News}}</ref> in a journey which started in [[Salalah]] and lasted 40 days, ending in [[Dubai]]. The team only made use of three water stops along the journey and pulled a specially designed cart that housed all the supplies necessary for the entire expedition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emptyquarter.co.za|title=empty quarter expedition website|website=Emptyquarter.co.za|access-date=23 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109113305/http://www.emptyquarter.co.za/|archive-date=9 January 2016}}</ref>

In 2013, British adventurer Alistair Humphreys released his first documentary film, ''Into the Empty Quarter'', documenting his walk through the Empty Quarter desert with Leon McCarron.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Humphreys |first1=Alastair |title=Into the Empty Quarter |type=Documentary, Adventure, Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3393362/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |others=Alastair Humphreys, Leon McCarron |last2=McCarron |first2=Leon}}</ref>

In 2013, from 18 February to 28 March, South Korean explorer Young-Ho Nam led a team (Agustin Arroyo Bezanilla, Si-Woo Lee) on a crossing through the Empty Quarter on foot from [[Salalah, Oman]], to [[Liwa Oasis]] in the [[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|UAE]] Emirate of [[Abu Dhabi]]. The crossing was performed with permission from the governments of Oman and the UAE. Dewan Ruler's Representative for Western Region, Emirate of Abu Dhabi recognized it as the world's first on-foot crossing of the Empty Quarter following the border of Oman and ending in UAE.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.explorersweb.com/world/news.php?id=21490 |title=ExWeb interview with Young-Ho Nam, life is like crossing a desert |author=Kyu Dam Lee |publisher=ExplorersWeb}}</ref>

In 2018, the first all-female walking expedition, named "Her Faces of Change", led by Briton Janey McGill, who was accompanied by the first Omani women in modern times to walk the Oman Empty Quarter, Baida Al Zadjali and Atheer Al Sabri, set off on 22 December 2018 after receiving formal approval from the government of Oman.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Kothaneth |first=Lakshmi |date=2019-01-06 |title=Omani Women set to conquer Empty Quarter |url=https://www.omanobserver.om/article/40086/Business/omani-women-set-to-conquer-empty-quarter |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Oman Observer |language=en}}</ref> The team was supported by two cars for supplies driven by Tariq Al Zadjali (Omani) and Mark Vause-Jones (British) and filmmaker Matthew Milan from the United States. The expedition started from Al Hashman in the Dohafar Governate of Oman crossing through Burkana, Maqshin, and Al Sahma in [[Al Wusta Governorate (Oman)|Al Wusta]] Region, continued through Abu Al Tabool and Um Al Sameem, and ended at Ibri fort in the [[Al Dhahirah Governorate|Al Dhahira]] region of Oman. The total distance walked by the team was {{convert|758|km|abbr=on}} in 28 days, ending the expedition on 18 January 2019.<ref name=":0" />

In 2018, Deidre O'Leary and Kyle Knight crossed the Rub' al Khali from the South (the Saudi-Omani border) to the North (the Saudi-UAE border) on foot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://outdooruae.com/outdoor-activity/lifestyle-outdoor-activity/international-womens-day/ |title=International Women's Day, Interview with Deidre O'Leary |author=Aida Othman |publisher=Outdoor UAE}}</ref> This was the first known crossing within Saudi Arabia from south to north on foot through the highest sand dunes of the Rub Al' Khali. The pair crossed {{convert|300|km|abbr=on}} in 9&nbsp;days, 12&nbsp;hours, and 59&nbsp;minutes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/kyle-knight-deirde-oleary-crossing-saudi-empty-quarter-saudi-arabia-2018-01-14 |title=Kyle Knight, Deirde O'Leary - Crossing the Saudi Empty Quarter (Saudi Arabia) - 2018-01-14 |date=4 January 2018 |publisher=Fastest Known Time}}</ref>

In 2020, Italian extreme desert explorer Max Calderan completed a Rub' al Khali exploration on foot for the first time ever from west to east. He crossed {{convert|1100|km|abbr=on}} in 18 days, crossing the widest area of Rub' al Khali.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/culture/2020/02/04/calderan-walks-over-1000-km-in-rub-al-khali-desert_2789e78b-5916-470a-9ffa-40934a587934.html |title=Calderan walks over 1,000 km in Rub Al Khali desert |date=2020-02-04 |access-date=2020-02-27 |work=ANSAmed}}</ref>

[[File:Traces in The Empty Quarter.jpg|right|thumb|Route of Austrian-German expedition]]
In 2023, an Austrian-German expedition completed a southwest-to-northeast crossing of the Rub-al-Khali region on the Saudi Arabian side. The route was planned by Austrian Thomas Brandl-Ruttner, leading a team of eight experts in navigation, expedition logistics, and engineering. The team included geo-archaeologist Rudolf Dellmour, who was responsible for scientific documentation. Covering a {{Convert|1500|km|abbr=off|adj=on}} route through largely unexplored terrain, the team gathered and documented new geological and archaeological findings. Locations that had previously only been studied via satellite imagery were explored on-site for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mayr |first1=Tobias |last2=noe.ORF.at |date=2024-09-23 |title=Suche nach Spuren der ersten Menschen |url=https://noe.orf.at/stories/3262790/ |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=noe.ORF.at |language=de}}</ref>

In 2024, Richard Midwinter walked alone from Salalah, aiming to cross via Muqshin to Al Ain and on to Dubai, to raise awareness for women missed by the NHS breast cancer screening programme. He was carrying a rucksack and had no supply caches or support team. He was detained by Royal Oman Police at Abutubul, south of the Umm al Samim and interrogated under suspicion of espionage by the Internal Security Service, removed from the Rub al Khali, and left to continue his journey from Qarn al Alam. He walked under observation for two more days before deciding to hitchhike out, having walked about {{Convert|800|km}} in 29 days.<ref>{{cite book |last=Midwinter |first=Richard |date=7 February 2025 |title=Desert, Spies and NHS Lies |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DVC8XG1X/ |location= |publisher=Independent |pages=254, 264 |isbn=979-8335174756 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=This is an Amazon link to a self-published book. ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=February 2025}}

In 2025, Gavin Booth MBE and Adam Wilton MBE completed the first self-sufficient foot crossing of the Rub' al Khali, travelling circa {{Convert|780|km}} from [[As Sulayyil]] to [[Haradh]] via [[Ash Shafa|Ash Shalfa]] in 22 days. They hauled all their food, supplies, and water necessary for the journey in self-built carts, without any support or resupply caches.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beavis |first=Lauren |date=28 January 2025 |title=Adventurers make history pulling rickshaws over desert |work=The Metro |pages=6, 7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 January 2025 |title=British adventurers complete first self-sufficient foot crossing of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter |url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/648942/SAUDI-ARABIA/British-adventurers-complete-first-self-sufficient-foot-crossing-of-Saudi-Arabias-Empty-Quarter-nbsp |work=Saudi Gazette |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Beavis |first=Lauren |date=28 January 2025 |title=The pull of the desert |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mirror/20250128/282265261109600?srsltid=AfmBOor8IxvAzPtcbbc_A0oyQqO0eIeEReIzJe8gkMjSb6-YlmV33G-1 |work=The Mirror |page=28}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Ar Rub’ al Khali Sand Sea, Arabian Peninsula.JPG|Astronaut photograph highlighting a part of ''Ar-Rub' al-Khali'' near its south-eastern margin, in [[Al Wusta Governorate (Oman)|the Wusta Governorate]] of [[Oman]]
File:Rub al khali sunset Nov 2007.jpg|Sunset in Saudi Arabia
</gallery>
[[File:Empty corner.JPG|left|thumb|798x798px|View near Saudi border]]
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia|Oman|UAE|Yemen}}
* [[Ad-Dahna Desert]]
* [[Ramlat Khaliya]]
*[[Rub' al Khali Basin]]
* [[Sharqiya Sands]] in Oman

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|d=Q229269|voy=Empty Quarter|c=category:Rub' al Khali|n=no|b=no|v=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|species=no|q=no}}
* [https://www.britannica.com/place/Rub-al-Khali Rub' al-Khali] in Encyclopædia Britannica
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100618105235/http://www.saudilife.net/component/content/article/50-riyadh/209-lost-city-under-rub-al-khali-empty-quarter.html Lost city under the Rub' Al-Khali], Saudi Life (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070806035245/http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0502/feature1/index.html Empty Quarter: Exploring Arabia's Sea of Sand], National Geographic (archived)

{{Deserts}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rub' Al Khali}}
[[Category:Arabian Peninsula]]
[[Category:Deserts of Oman]]
[[Category:Deserts of Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Deserts of the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Deserts of Yemen]]
[[Category:Ergs]]
[[Category:Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia]]