Red Sand Dunes

The Red Sand Dunes are an area of sand dunes west of Riyadh, close to the road leading to Makkah, and can be reached from the capital in less than an hour by car. The sand has a reddish colour that deepens at sunrise and sunset, and the high dunes lie beside rocky ground and outlying edges of the Tuwaiq escarpment.

The colour of the sand comes from the iron oxides that coat its grains. The people of Riyadh have long had the habit of going out into the desert in the seasons of mild weather. As the city grew and roads improved, these dunes became one of the nearest and most frequented places for such outings.

Visitors ride quad bikes, which are rented at the site, drive four-wheel-drive vehicles up the dunes, go sandboarding and ride camels. Families and groups set up seating areas and camps where coffee and food are prepared over a fire. The dunes are a nearby open space for residents of the capital and an example of the custom of desert outings that is firmly rooted in Najdi society.