Rawdat Khuraim

Rawdat Khuraim is a rawdah, a shallow depression in the limestone plateau where runoff collects and silt accumulates, and after a wet winter it produces something the surrounding desert does not: a spread of grass, wildflowers and acacia over several square kilometres, green enough that Riyadh residents drive out to camp and picnic in it. Locally it is called the king's forest from its historical use. The flowering is entirely dependent on rain and fails in dry years, so its condition varies enormously between seasons. Grazing pressure, off-road driving and camping have damaged parts of it, and the site has no formal protection or management.

What you actually see

• The green depression - grass and flowers after a wet winter.
• Acacia stands - the trees scattered across the rawdah.
• Picnic camps - the Riyadh families out for the season.
• The surrounding desert - the bare plateau the depression interrupts.

When to go

February to April, and only in a year with good winter rain; in dry years there is nothing to see. Weekends are crowded during a good season. Check locally whether the rawdah has greened before making the drive.

Honest expectations

The green season is unreliable and fails entirely in dry years. There is no management, and litter and off-road damage are severe. No facilities of any kind exist on site. The drive from Riyadh takes over an hour.

Nearby

Riyadh lies southwest; the Qassim road runs north.