Physical Geography of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the dominant country of the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. The country is covered by deserts almost upon its entire territory.

The Central Plateau and Western Mountains

The central regions of the country and the peninsula is an elevated plateau, called Najd. It is separated form the Red Sea and its narrow coastal plains by higher mountains on the western edges of the peninsula, the Hejaz and Asir Mountains.

The Desert Systems

All of these sub-deserts are sub-sections of the greater non-homogenous Arabain Desert. For instance, the An-Nafud Desert and Syrian Deserts are located north of the Najd region, while the southern desert of the Saudi Arabia Map is called Rub' al Khali Desert, which is the most extensive sand desert on the Earth, stretching over the borders to Oman, Yemen and the Emirates.

Key Geographical Features

• Najd: The central elevated plateau of the country.
• Hejaz and Asir Mountains: Higher mountains on the western edges of the peninsula.
• Rub' al Khali: The most extensive sand desert on the Earth.
• An-Nafud and Syrian Deserts: Deserts located north of the Najd region.