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Arabic: 'al-rub¢ 'al-khāliyy
Rub al-Khali is one of three common names used in the West, the other two are Empty Quarter, which is a direct translation of Rub al-Khali, and Great Sandy Desert.
Rub al-Khali covers about a third of the peninsula, most of it belongs to Saudi Arabia, while the south of United Arab Emirates, the west of Oman and northwest of Yemen also belong to it.
To Rub al-Khali belongs several rich oil fields, like the Kidan fields, Shaybah and Ramalah, all in the Saudi corner near United Arab Emirates and Oman. Also, the Ghawwar Field, the largest in the world, discovered 1948, extends southward into the Rub al-Khali.
Rub al-Khali has no permanent settlements, but Bedouin tribes like the al-Murrah, live nomadic lives in its outskirts.
Rub al-Khali represents one of the most extreme areas in the world with summer temperatures shifting from below 0ºC at night to over 60ºC at noon. Dunes can reach heights of more than 300 metres.
There is little to nothing of vegetation and animal life. Still, in between there are pockets allowing some vegetation and animal life in the form of arachnids and rodents.
In ancient times, the Rub al-Khali was not as inhospitable, and allowed the passing of caravans dealing mainly in frankincense.