The Nefud Al-Kebir (النفود الكبير), also known as the desert of Al-Nefud (صحراء النفود), is a vast sand dune desert in the northern Arabian Peninsula. Its name translates to “The Great Sand Dune Desert” in Arabic. This expansive desert stretches over 290 kilometers from the ancient city of Tayma’ in the west to the city of Hail in the east, and spans 225 kilometers between Hail and Dumat Al-Jandal in the north. Covering an area of 103,600 square kilometers, it encompasses parts of the Hail, Al-Jawf, and Tabuk provinces. The eastern tip of the Nefud Al-Kebir connects to the Dahna, a narrow corridor of sand dunes that extends over 1,300 kilometers, leading to the Rub’ Al-Khali, the largest sand dune desert in the world.
A Mythical Barrier
The Nefud Al-Kebir has long been perceived as an impassable and inhospitable desert, a natural barrier that isolated the Arabian Peninsula from the rest of the world. This perception is famously depicted in T. E. Lawrence’s book, “Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” where he describes a daring crossing of the Nefud Al-Kebir to attack Aqaba. However, Lawrence’s account is more myth than reality, as there is no practical need to cross the Nefud to reach Aqaba from any starting point.
Historical Significance
Contrary to its reputation, the Nefud Al-Kebir has played a significant role in the history of the Arabian Peninsula and still bears traces of ancient human activity.
A Land of the First Homo Sapiens
In April 2018, researchers from the Max Planck Institute announced the discovery of an 85,000-year-old phalanx at Al-Wusta in the Nefud Al-Kebir. This fossil is the oldest directly dated Homo Sapien fossil found outside Africa and the Levant. It demonstrates that early human dispersal from Africa was not confined to the Levantine Mediterranean woodlands but extended into the semi-arid grasslands of Arabia, facilitated by periods of enhanced monsoon rainfall.
Additionally, a small lithic assemblage dating back to 55,000 years ago was discovered at Al-Marrat by Michael Petraglia’s team from the Max Planck Institute, highlighting the long-term human occupation of the area during humid phases.
A Host of Brilliant Rock Art
In 2015, the site of Jubbah in Hail Province was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its high-quality ancient carvings, likely dating back to the last humid period of the Arabian Peninsula, between the 10th and 5th millennia BCE. The rock formations of Jubbah, which host these carvings, are located near paleolakes within the Nefud Al-Kebir that once supported African-type fauna and humans.
Even as the climate became drier from the 5th millennium BCE, human presence in the Nefud did not vanish. Inscriptions in Thamudic and Nabatean scripts, approximately 2,000 years old, found in Jubbah, indicate that caravans continued to traverse the Nefud during that time.
European Explorers
The Nefud Al-Kebir also attracted early European explorers. The Frenchman Charles Huber crossed the desert from Hail to Sakaka in October 1883, making a stopover in Jubbah. During subsequent trips, Huber even carved his name on rocks near the Nefud Al-Kebir.
The Nefud Al-Kebir is not just a vast expanse of sand but a region rich in history and archaeological significance, offering a glimpse into the ancient human activities that once thrived in this seemingly inhospitable landscape.
Exploring the Nefud Al-Kebir
When venturing into the Nefud Al-Kebir, the first striking aspect is the vegetation. Millions of small bushes make progress by car quite tedious, especially when it is necessary to gain momentum for climbing a sandy slope.
A second interesting feature is the shape of the dunes. Unlike the steep mountains of sand in the Rub’ Al-Khali, the dunes in the Nefud Al-Kebir are quite hilly yet scalable. Even the large crescent dunes, which reach over 50 meters high, are relatively easy to circumvent.
Another characteristic of the Nefud Al-Kebir is the variety of colors of its sand, ranging from regular beige to red, and from yellow to white on its edges.
How to Visit the Nefud Al-Kebir
While driving in the Nefud Al-Kebir is not as difficult as in the Rub’ Al-Khali, it still requires highly capable 4x4 skills, GPS, full sand recovery equipment, and significant experience in sand dune driving. Currently, there are no tour operators offering trips to the Nefud Al-Kebir, but we will advertise as soon as one becomes available.
