Saudi Arabia, AlUla, Riyadh and the wider Middle East are expanding desert tourism through luxury rail journeys, heritage experiences, desert camps and nature-based stays, creating new ways for international travellers to explore landscapes beyond the region’s major cities. Saudi Arabia is preparing to introduce the Dream of the Desert luxury train, while Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain are developing their own desert experiences around dunes, protected landscapes, archaeological sites and traditional communities. The result is a growing network of desert destinations where travellers can combine accommodation, adventure, culture and outdoor activities within one journey.
Saudi Arabia Puts Luxury Rail Into The Desert
Saudi Arabia’s Dream of the Desert is scheduled to enter service towards the end of 2026, creating a new rail-based tourism experience through the Kingdom’s northern landscapes. The project is being developed with Saudi Arabia Railways and Italian hospitality company Arsenale, with journeys designed around desert scenery, heritage and cultural experiences. (dreamofthedesert.com)
The published itineraries include routes connecting Riyadh with Al Jouf, Hail, Jubbah, Al Qassim and AlUla. Experiences include visits to Marid Castle, Jubbah’s rock art, desert camps and the Aja Mountains. (dreamofthedesert.com)
For travellers, the concept combines transport and accommodation in a single experience. Guests can travel through desert landscapes while using the train as a base for dining, overnight stays and organised excursions.
AlUla Adds Heritage To The Desert Journey
AlUla is central to Saudi Arabia’s wider desert tourism development. The destination combines sandstone formations, archaeological sites, oases and historic settlements, creating a landscape where nature and heritage can be experienced together.
The Dream of the Desert itinerary linking Riyadh, Al Jouf, Jubbah and AlUla includes desert camps, ancient rock art and a final stay in AlUla. (dreamofthedesert.com)
Travellers visiting independently can also explore Hegra, the ancient Nabataean site recognised by UNESCO, alongside AlUla Old Town and the surrounding rock formations.
Oman Builds Tourism Around Desert Landscapes
Oman provides another established model for desert travel, particularly around the Wahiba Sands, also known as the Sharqiya Sands. The region offers dune drives, camel experiences, desert camps and opportunities to experience Bedouin traditions.
Travellers commonly combine a desert stay with coastal destinations, mountain villages and wadis. Muscat can serve as the starting point before visitors travel inland towards the dunes and continue towards Oman’s mountains or Arabian Sea coastline.
The country’s desert tourism also fits naturally into road-trip itineraries, allowing visitors to combine camping, wildlife, photography and cultural experiences.
UAE Combines Desert Adventure With Luxury Stays
The UAE has developed a mature desert tourism market alongside its major urban destinations. Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide access to desert excursions featuring dune drives, camel rides, falconry, traditional meals and overnight camps.
For visitors staying in the cities, desert experiences can be organised as half-day or full-day excursions. Luxury desert resorts also allow longer stays where accommodation, dining and outdoor activities are integrated into protected desert landscapes.
The UAE model connects high-end hospitality with desert recreation, creating an itinerary that can combine city attractions with dunes without requiring a long-distance journey.
Qatar Expands Its Desert And Coastal Experience
Qatar offers a different desert tourism landscape, where dunes meet the Arabian Gulf. Khor Al Adaid, also known as the Inland Sea, is one of the country’s most distinctive natural attractions, with large dunes reaching the coastline.
Visitors can reach the area through organised desert excursions, often combining four-wheel-drive journeys with views of the inland sea. Camping and wildlife observation provide additional options for travellers spending longer in the desert.
The proximity of Doha means visitors can combine desert excursions with museums, cultural attractions, restaurants and waterfront experiences during the same trip.
Jordan Brings Ancient History Into Desert Travel
Jordan’s Wadi Rum provides one of the region’s most established combinations of desert scenery and heritage tourism. The protected area is known for its red-rock mountains, sandstone valleys and archaeological evidence of long-term human settlement.
Travellers can explore Wadi Rum by four-wheel-drive vehicle, camel or on foot, with Bedouin-operated camps providing overnight accommodation. Stargazing is also an important part of the experience because the desert offers expansive night skies away from major urban centres.
The destination can be combined with Petra, allowing visitors to connect desert landscapes with one of Jordan’s most important archaeological sites.
Egypt Connects Desert Tourism With Ancient Landscapes
Egypt offers several forms of desert travel beyond the Nile Valley. The Western Desert includes the White Desert, Black Desert and oases such as Siwa, while the Eastern Desert provides routes between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea.
Siwa offers visitors desert excursions, oasis landscapes, traditional architecture and local cultural experiences. In the White Desert, unusual chalk formations create a landscape suited to camping, photography and guided excursions.
Travellers can combine these experiences with Cairo, Luxor or Red Sea destinations depending on the length of their itinerary.
Bahrain Adds Desert Experiences To Island Travel
Bahrain’s desert landscape is smaller in scale but can form part of a wider cultural itinerary. Visitors can explore the southern part of the island, where desert terrain surrounds attractions including the Tree of Life and archaeological sites.
The country’s compact geography allows travellers to combine desert sightseeing with Manama’s markets, museums, restaurants and waterfront attractions within a short stay.
Desert Tourism Moves Beyond Dune Adventures
Across the Middle East, desert tourism is increasingly connected with heritage, food, nature, wellness, astronomy and accommodation rather than focusing only on dune drives. Saudi Arabia’s luxury rail project adds another format, allowing travellers to experience the desert while moving between historic and natural destinations.
Oman and Jordan connect desert travel with mountains, archaeological sites and local communities, while the UAE and Qatar combine desert excursions with modern city breaks. Egypt and Bahrain add desert experiences to broader cultural and coastal itineraries.
For international travellers, this expanding tourism network provides multiple ways to experience the region’s deserts, from luxury rail and private camps to hiking, wildlife, heritage and stargazing. The desert is becoming not simply a landscape crossed between destinations, but a central part of the journey itself.
