Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) Map
The Rub' al Khali is a desert across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman, covering about 680,000 km² (263,000 sq mi). This map shows its extent on shaded relief, with the surrounding mountains, rivers, borders and cities.
How to read this map
The Rub' al Khali is about 680,000 km² (263,000 sq mi) in area. It extends across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
The dashed outline marks the Rub' al Khali as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Riyadh, Sanaa, Doha, Dubai, Al Hudaydah, Muscat, Hofuf and Abu Dhabi. Labeled countries: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and United Arab Emirates.
Greens show lower elevations; tan and brown show higher land, with pale tones toward the highest terrain. Shadows emphasize the slopes, and vertical relief is exaggerated so landforms are easier to read. Dashed lines show country borders.
The relief uses Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED2010 and ETOPO1 elevation data). Rivers, lakes, borders and the outline of the Rub' al Khali come from Natural Earth, and the figures on this page from Wikidata. Natural Earth draws features at a small scale, so the outline is a guide to where the Rub' al Khali is, not a surveyed boundary.
Blank physical map
The blank version keeps the mapped features and removes the place labels. Download it for a geography worksheet or practice identifying the features.
Rub' al Khali facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 1,000 km (621 mi) |
| Area | 680,000 km² (263,000 sq mi) |
| Countries | the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman |
Data sources and license
- Natural Earth (public-domain geography): Public domain.
- Terrain Tiles / Mapzen (SRTM, GMTED2010, ETOPO1): Open elevation data; source attribution retained.
- Wikidata (lengths, areas, countries and other facts): CC0 1.0.
Map design and rendered images: Atlas of Maps, CC BY 4.0. Source databases retain their own licenses; the map license does not replace them.
Maps of the countries: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman. Compare with the world mountain ranges map.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rub' al Khali?
About 680,000 km² (263,000 sq mi).
Where is the Rub' al Khali?
The Rub' al Khali is in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
Can I download a blank map of the Rub' al Khali?
Yes. The blank version keeps the relief, rivers and borders and the highlighted desert but removes the place names. Both versions are free to download as PNG and as an A4 PDF.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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