Grand Finale: The Black and White Volcanoes of Saudi Arabia

My Time in Saudi Arabia has now come to an end. I have returned to Germany to soak in all the rain, coldness, and incredible greenery that has been lacking for the past 3 months.

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However, there is one more adventure that I did in Saudi Arabia and found super interesting. I hope you enjoy it.


In the middle of Saudi Arabia lies a 12,000 square kilometer field of pure lava, named Khaybar. The whole area is elevated to an average height of 1500 meters and is extremely dry. In the middle of this lava field lie three great Volcanoes, named Jebl Quidr (Black), Jebl Bayad (Male White), Jebl Abyad (Femal White).




Extremely interesting is the high density of ruins that can be found adjacent to the Khaybar lava field. According to research I did, the Arabian peninsula used to be much greener. Especially the area around Khaybar was a hub for early tribal groups. This lushness seems to have lasted well into the neolithic age, an age that ended around 4,500 BC.

On our way to the volcanoes we passed a number of these ruins, and with a lot of imagination we attempted to to imagine the way these late stone age hunters and gatherers lived their lives.

Picture on the Left: Historic ruins left by tribes that once inhabited the fertile lands of Khaybar. Picture on the right: Me climbing around in neolithic (around 6000 years ago rock formations that were once thought to be part of a graveyard road where these ancient people buried their dead. These graveyard roads could stretch up to over one kilometer in length and were always perfectly straight. 

Ancient vehicles once used by indigenous folk to transport goods from one area to another. Note that this vehicle makes use of the invention of the wheel.

The Whole troup of 14 people, all fitting in two Yukons (that is supposed to be impressive).

The next step in the itinerary: the actual volcanoes. However, after leaving the pavement, it took us over 5 hours to get to the base of the volcanoes, where we then set up camp for the night.

The White Volcano we scaled can be seen in the background. The (not)-road we drove is in the foreground.

We spent that night camped out at the base of the volcanoe, some of us in tents, others in sleeping bags, and the rest laying on towels or jackets to bear out the night on the hard rocks. Thankfully, I had brought my sleeping bag.

The next morning we managed to get up at 0500 in the morning, in order to beat the midday heat and scale the Volcano.

Picture on the Left: An inside view of the Crater of the White Volcano, spanning over 1 kilometer in diameter. Picture on the Right: The strenuous climb up to the white volcano, which can be seen in the background.

View from the top of the volcano over the Laval Field. Our camping spot is the sandy area in the middle of the lava field (top left corner of picture)

It was an incredible adventure. We spent three days in one of the remotest areas of Saudi Arabia; an area where even the sight of Bedouins was a rare sight. We saw rare archaeological sights and immense lava fields, experienced the cruel Saudi Heat of 40+ degrees, and managed to see a geological colossus.

We returned to KAUST safe and sound, happy to be back in civilization, impressed that a country which is 99% covered by desert, has so much to offer. Seek and you shall Find, habibis.

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This concludes my narrative of my travels in Saudi Arabia. I hope you have all enjoyed the stories. I will be leaving for another country soon, so stay tuned...