JEDDAH: The city of Najran on the edge of the Empty Quarter — one of the world’s largest sand deserts — is fast becoming Saudi Arabia’s most promising tourist destination, as visitors come in search of historical sights and tales of generations past.
Between November and March when seasonal winds ease, the desert offers the promise of adventure for hikers and nature lovers, while others prefer the relative comfort of road trips.
The vast sea of sand extends from the Al-Arid mountain range and nature reserve to Yadamah Province’s high Uruq Al-Mundafin.
Home to unique desert vegetation, the reserve is considered a sanctuary for a number of threatened desert species, such as the Arabian oryx, the Arabian red fox, the…