Page 361 - New Medley 5 Semester 1

Hot deserts in the World

Saudi Arabia occupies a major part of the Arabian peninsula. It is
surrounded by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait in the north, Qatar, Oman,

UAE in the east and Yemen in the south. Riyadh is the capital of Saudi
Arabia. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle part of Saudi

Arabia and Arabian peninsula.

Physical Features

A major part of Saudi Arabia is a rocky plateau covered by loose sand.

This vast dry sandy desert is called Rub al Khali, meaning ‘empty area’.
The mountainous area is along the western side. The central and eastern
parts have plateaus and sandy deserts.

There are many hills of loose sand, which are called sand dunes. Strong
winds blow almost throughout the year. Dust storms are common. The

strong winds can shift the sand dunes from one place to another. There is
no permanent stream. One can notice a few wadis or temporary streams

formed after the rains.

359