Commonly known as ‘The Empty Quarter’, this massive barren landscape became famous in works of literature such as Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger and was prominently featured in many more.
Background
The Empty Quarter is the largest stretch of uninterrupted desert in the world and covers an incredible span of 650,000km2. Despite being almost void of life, it is the most oil-rich area of the world.
Size
To put the size of this massive desert landscape into perspective, the Rub’ Al Khali is 40,000 square-miles bigger than the country of France. This means you can fit both France and the state of Ohio into the Empty Quarter.
Wilfred Thesiger
From 1946 till 1950, Wilfred Thesiger traversed the Empty Quarter several times and managed to map a great deal of it. Several expeditions have taken place since then by people inspired by the travels of Wilfred Thesiger.
Modern Day Expeditions
Fast forward to the modern day, several adventurers have traversed the Empty Quarter on foot, such as Alastair Humphreys and Young-Ho Nam. If you happen to be staying at a Salalah beach resort Oman has to offer, like Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara you can embark on your own excursion into the barren landscape of Rub Al’ Khalil.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+
