Question 1

True or false: Rub al-Khali has a permanent population of over 10,000 people.

Accepted Answer

False. The Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, is one of the most inhospitable deserts on Earth, with no permanent settlements. Only occasional Bedouin nomads pass through; there is no permanent population.

Question 2

True or false: Rub al-Khali is the largest desert on Earth.

Accepted Answer

False. The largest desert is Antarctica; the largest hot desert is the Sahara. Rub al-Khali is a large sand desert within the Arabian Desert.

Question 3

True or false: Rub al-Khali has sand dunes that rise over 250 meters in height.

Accepted Answer

True. The Empty Quarter features some of the tallest sand dunes globally, with heights exceeding 250 meters (820 feet).

Question 4

True or false: Rub al-Khali supports no form of plant or animal life.

Accepted Answer

False. Despite extreme dryness, the Rub al-Khali supports hardy plants like ghada and animals like the Arabian oryx and sand cat.

Question 5

True or false: Rub al-Khali receives less than 5 centimeters of rain per year on average.

Accepted Answer

True. The Rub al-Khali is one of the driest deserts, with average annual rainfall below 5 cm (2 inches), making it a hyper-arid region.

Question 6

True or false: Rub al-Khali spans across Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates.

Accepted Answer

True. The Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, is the largest contiguous sand desert, covering parts of these four countries.

Question 7

True or false: Rub al-Khali lies entirely within the borders of Saudi Arabia.

Accepted Answer

False. The Rub al-Khali extends into Oman, Yemen, and the UAE. Most of it is in Saudi Arabia, but not entirely.

Question 8

True or false: Rub al-Khali contains evidence of ancient freshwater lakes from the last ice age.

Accepted Answer

True. During wet periods of the last ice age, lakes existed in the Rub al-Khali; their sedimentary and fossil remains have been found.

Rub al-Khali Trivia Questions