Liwa desert safari

Liwa lies in southern Abu Dhabi emirate, on the edge of the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world. It's a different desert from the one seen on a safari near Dubai: giant orange dunes, with a palm oasis threaded between them. A Liwa desert safari (sometimes spelled Liwah) is the way to reach the heart of this desert in a single day.

The Empty Quarter, Rub' al Khali, spans according to Visit Abu Dhabi about 650,000 square kilometers, mostly in Saudi Arabia, with parts in Yemen, Oman and the UAE. It's one of the driest regions in the world, with almost no inhabitants. Between 6,000 and 2,000 years ago, shallow lakes covered parts of it. British explorer Wilfred Thesiger crossed it in the 1940s with Emirati and Omani companions. According to The National, director Denis Villeneuve filmed the desert planet Arrakis here for the "Dune" films.

The area's famous landmark is Tal Moreeb, a dune over 300 meters high with a 50-degree slope, according to Visit Abu Dhabi. According to The National, it runs more than 1.6 km long. The name means "the terrifying mountain," sometimes spelled Tel Mreeb. Once a year it hosts a climbing competition for 4x4 vehicles, quad bikes and dirt bikes.

On the day safari, you depart Abu Dhabi by 4x4 jeep, drive 2–3 hours to Liwa, and spend the day among the dunes with lunch and drinks.

Liwa is also a place of people. According to The National, the area has camel farms with Liwa's black camels, date farms belonging to the farming community of Mazyad, and a 19th-century Dafeer Fort. In summer, Liwa hosts a date festival, and between October and January, the Al Dhafra Festival, with its camel beauty contest.

The first Westerner to cross the Empty Quarter was Bertram Thomas, in 1931. He covered 1,300 km in 59 days, some years before Thesiger. The Liwa oasis still lives today off underground springs that water its palm groves. Dafeer Fort, built of mud brick, has stood here for nearly 200 years.

The Liwa Date Festival runs 10 days in summer, and the 2026 edition ended on July 23. It showcases local date varieties and rutab, dates that haven't fully ripened yet. The Al Dhafra Festival unfolds in stages: it opens in Sweihan in late October, moves to Madinat Zayed, and wraps up in December.

All three "Dune" films were shot in the Liwa desert, and the third is due out in December 2026. Getting there will also soon be easier: the train stations in Liwa and Madinat Zayed are part of Etihad Rail's 900 km network, connecting the UAE's major destinations.

It suits anyone who's already done a Dubai safari and wants the real desert, and doesn't mind a long day on the road.

Liwa's season is winter. The Liwa International Festival takes place in December, three weeks of desert motorsport, culture, performances and fireworks, according to Visit Abu Dhabi. It is the liveliest time in the area, but also the busiest. In summer the heat in the desert is very heavy, so anyone coming then needs to prepare for it and drink plenty.