Red Sands

West of Riyadh the gravel plain gives way to dunes of a strong orange-red sand, the colour coming from iron oxide coating the grains, and the nearest accessible edge of that dune field is what Riyadh residents call the Red Sands. It is the city's standard weekend escape: families drive out in the late afternoon, set up fires and tents in the hollows, ride quads and buggies rented at the roadside, and sandboard down the slip faces. The dunes rise to a few tens of metres and the field runs for a long way west. There is no formal management, entrance or facility beyond the informal rental and refreshment operations along the road.

What you actually see

• The orange dunes - the iron-stained sand of the field edge.
• Weekend camps - the fires, tents and gatherings in the hollows.
• Quads and buggies - the rentals operating along the roadside.
• Sandboarding - the slip faces used for boards and sledges.

When to go

November to March; summer temperatures make daytime visits dangerous and even the evenings are hot. Late afternoon and evening are when the dunes fill. Weekends are crowded, weekdays quiet.

Honest expectations

Litter left by campers is a serious and visible problem. Quad and buggy traffic is fast, unregulated and dangerous to pedestrians. Vehicles get stuck in soft sand off the tracks. There are no facilities, water or toilets.

Nearby

Riyadh lies east; the Edge of the World is northwest.