Dunes of Arabia: Inside the ultimate Saudi desert adventure

Celebrate the diversity of the kingdom’s landscapes with falconry, sandboarding and camping

As part of Saudi Arabia’s much-anticipated Riyadh Season, Dunes of Arabia is taking place in the desert. It is a four-month, family event that showcases and celebrates the country’s past nomadic Bedouin lifestyle.

There are all manner of activities to take part in, all paying homage to the diversity of the kingdom’s desert, from falconry to dune bashing and sandboarding to horse riding.

About 30 per cent of the land in Saudi Arabia is covered in desert and the kingdom is famous for its dramatic dunes, sand valleys and rugged landscapes, from the reddish terrain of Ad Dahna Desert to Rub’ Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter.

Camel trekking, desert camping and stargazing in the ancient city of AlUla, in the northwest, are popular tourist activities, as is hiking through Red Sands near Riyadh or going on an off-road trip around historical Najd, the country’s central region where about one-third of today’s population resides.

One of the kingdom’s most stunning desert attractions is known as the Edge of the World, within the Tuwaik mountain range, also near the capital city. It’s a 1,131-metre cliff that travellers can climb to experience what are arguably the most spectacular views in the country.

This page was produced by The National in partnership with Saudi Tourism Authority.