In the west of the Al-Nafud Desert, 220 kilometres from the city of Tabuk, is the ancient Taima Oasis. In this deserted place, among the sands and rocks, one mystery especially attracts tourists – Al Naslaa, a huge formation of sandstone, as if cut in half by a giant’s sword. There are two parts of this giant cobblestone on fragile support, as the locals say, from time immemorial. The Al Nafoud Desert is a huge sandy sea in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, 290 km long and 225 km wide. In some places, there are shrubs and stunted trees, but more often there are tall, dark red dunes resembling crescent-shaped dunes. This shape is due to strong winds blowing sand to one side. This is one of the driest places – it rains here once or twice a year, but powerful sandstorms are not uncommon. On the edge of the desert The first Europeans to visit Al Nafud left a mesmerizing description of the region. “What is most striking about this desert is its colour,” wrote Lady Anne Blunt in 1878...