Arabian Desert

The Arabian desert (Arabi Desert)
Deserts
A satellite image of the Arabian Desert by NASA World Wind.
Countries	Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Landmark	Al-Nafūd Al-Sabʿatayn Dunes Āl Wahībah Dunes Rubʿ al-Khali
Highest point	Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m (12,336 ft)
- coordinates	18°16′2″N 42°22′5″E / 18.26722°N 42.36806°E / 18.26722; 42.36806
Length	2,100 km (1,305 mi), E/W
Width	1,100 km (684 mi), N/S
Area	2,330,000 km2 (899,618 sq mi)
Biome	Desert

The Arabian Desert is located in Western Asia. It is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi). At its center is the Rub'al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is mostly dry (the major part receives around 100 mm of rain per year but some very rare places receives down to 50 mm), and temperatures oscillate between very high heat and seasonal night time freezes. It is part of the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome and the Palearctic ecozone. This ecoregion holds little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other species have been successfully re-introduced, such as the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves. Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human destruction of habitat are the main threats to this desert ecoregion.