Two men have tragically died after becoming lost in the vast and unforgiving expanse of Saudi Arabia’s Rubʿ al-Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter—the largest continuous sand desert on earth.
The victims, telecommunications worker Mohammad Shehzad Khan, 27, and his unnamed Sudanese colleague, were found covered in sand beside their vehicle, four days after they were last seen.
The Rubʿ al-Khali stretches for an astonishing 250,000 square miles, with dunes reaching up to 2,000 feet high. Despite being home to vast underground oil fields, this desert is almost entirely uninhabited and remains one of the most unexplored regions in the world.
The desert is so expansive and featureless that GPS is essential for navigation, particularly for those who venture off the world’s longest straight road—Saudi Arabia’s 256-kilometer-long Highway 10.
Khan, originally from the south Indian state of Telangana, had moved to Saudi Arabia three years ago in search of better opportunities. A week ago, he and his colleague embarked on a journey through the desert but lost their way after their GPS signal failed. As temperatures soared past 40°C (104°F) during the daytime, the situation quickly became dire.
“With no way to find the route out of the desert and no signal to call for help, the two men were left stranded in one of the most inhospitable environments on earth,” reported India’s NDTV. Matters worsened when Khan’s phone battery died, leaving the pair completely isolated with no means of communication.
The car eventually ran out of fuel, stranding them without food or water in the scorching desert heat. Their bodies were discovered on Thursday, covered in sand, a testament to the harsh conditions that ultimately led to their deaths from dehydration and exhaustion.
“This tragic incident highlights the extreme dangers posed by the Rubʿ al-Khali,” said a local resident familiar with the desert’s treacherous conditions. “Even the most experienced travelers can find themselves in life-threatening situations if they are not fully prepared.”
Rubʿ al-Khali, at 650 kilometers across, is the largest sand desert in the world. While the Sahara is the largest hot desert overall, it comprises several smaller sand deserts interrupted by mountains and shrublands. The Empty Quarter, however, offers no such respite—just vast, unbroken stretches of sand as far as the eye can see.
