Things to Do in Abu Dhabi · Desert

Liwa Oasis & Empty Quarter

The edge of the Rub' Al Khali — the greatest sand desert on Earth begins here

Iconic Desert ✓ Self-guided · No booking needed

📍 Location Al Dhafra region, ~2.5 hours southwest of Abu Dhabi city

🕒 Timings The desert doesn't close; tours run sunrise–night

🎟️ Entry Fee Free to visit; safaris/overnights from ~AED 500–600

⏱️ Duration Full day minimum; overnight recommended

🌅 Best Time November–March; full-moon or new-moon nights each have their magic

🚇 Getting There Self-drive the E45 to Liwa's crescent of villages, or book a Liwa safari with transfers

📖 About

South of Abu Dhabi the roads run out into the Rub' Al Khali — the Empty Quarter — the largest sand desert on the planet, shared with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Its UAE gateway is the Liwa Oasis: a 100-kilometre crescent of date-farm villages where the Bani Yas tribes (ancestors of the ruling families) farmed the edge of the void.

The scale rewrites your sense of desert: dunes rise in ridges hundreds of metres high, apricot-coloured and utterly silent, rolling unbroken to the horizon. Highlights string along the crescent — date plantations, old forts, the Moreeb mega-dune — before the sands go trackless.

Do it as an overnight if you possibly can: sunset from a high ridge, a camp dinner, and the deepest star field in the Emirates. This is the desert the safaris imitate.

⭐ Highlights

The Rub' Al Khali — Earth's largest sand desert
Liwa's crescent of oasis villages and date farms
Dune ridges of 150–300 metres
Historic forts guarding the oasis line
The UAE's darkest, starriest nights

💡 Insider Tips

Deep-desert driving is expert territory — go guided or stay near the oasis roads.
Fuel at every opportunity; stations are oasis-only.
Winter nights drop under 10°C — pack real layers for camping.
July's Liwa Date Festival adds culture to the landscape if you brave the heat.