There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
The Arabian Leopards of Oman by Andrew Spalton and Hadi Al-Hikmani, illustrated by Vicky White.
*This image is copyright of its original author
Geologically, the peninsula is perhaps more appropriately called the "Arabian subcontinent", because it lies on a tectonic plate of its own, that is the Arabian Plate, which has been moving incrementally away from the rest of Africa (forming the Red Sea) and north, toward Asia, into the Eurasian Plate (forming the Zagros Mountains of Southwest Asia, particularly Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey). The rocks exposed vary systematically across Arabia, with the oldest rocks exposed in the Arabian-Nubian Shield near the Red Sea, overlain by earlier sediments that become younger towards the Persian Gulf. Perhaps the best-preserved ophiolite on Earth, the Semail Ophiolite, lies exposed in the Hajar Mountains of the UAE and northern Oman. The peninsula consists of:
A) A central plateau, the Najd, with fertile valleys and pastures used for the grazing of sheep and other livestock
B) A range of deserts: the Nafud in the north, which is stony; Ar-Rub' al-Khali (literally "the Empty Quarter") or the Great Arabian Desert in the south, with sand estimated to extend 600 ft (182.88 m) below the surface; between them, Ad-Dahna' Desert: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11767/view/1/15/
C) Stretches of dry or marshy coastland with coral reefs on the Red Sea's side (the Tihamah)
D) Oases and marshy coast-land in Eastern Arabia on the side of the Arabian Gulf, the most important of which are those of Al-Ain (in the UAE, on the border with Oman) and Al-Hasah (in Saudi Arabia), according to Marshall Cavendish: https://books.google.com/books?id=j894mi...#v=onepage
The Dhofar Mountains near Salalah, Oman, during the season of al-Khareef (the Monsoon), by Mary Paulose (2006):
*This image is copyright of its original author
The seafront of Al-Mukalla, Yemen, at sunset, with Ar-Rawdah Mosque in the right-hand side, and the Hadhramaut Mountains in the background, by Ion Tichy (30th of October, 1992):
Agricultural terraces near At-Tawilah ("The Table"?), in the Haraz Mountains of Yemen, by Bernard Gagnon (7th of August, 1986):
*This image is copyright of its original author
Jabal As-Sawdah (thought to be the highest mountain of Saudi Arabia, but not confirmed) of the 'Asir Mountains near the border with Yemen, about 28 km (17.4 miles) from Abha, by Muhammad Sobri (12th of July, 2017):
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Hijaz Mountains near the Islamic holy city of Makkah (Mecca), by Muhammed Enes Okullu (18th of August, 2011):
*This image is copyright of its original author
The Midian Mountains near 'Alqan, Tabuk Province, near the border, by 'Adel Al-'Omrani (3rd of January, 2013):
People picnicking at the base of the Tuwaiq Escarpment, near the Korean Slope, south-west of Riyadh in the central region of Najd, by Baptiste Marcel (24th of November, 2006):
Measuring about 3,666 m (12,027.56 ft) high, with a prominence of approximately 3,326 m (10,912.07 ft), it is so-called, not because of the Midianite figure who is mentioned in the Qur’an (who was thought to be the Biblical figure Jethro), but because of another Prophet of the same name, that is Shuʿayb ibn Mahdam ibn Dhī-Mahdam al-Ḥaḍūrī, whose tomb is considered by locals to be on the mountain. Also known as "Jabal Hadhur", due to it being located in the region of Mikhlaf Hadhur, it is nearly equidistant from Sana as Jabal Tiyal (Yemen's 2nd highest peak). The mountain may seem like a rocky knoll from observation center, like on the highway from Sana – Al-Hudaydah, but from its western face, it is a massive mountain rising from about 1,500 – 1,600 m (4,921.26 – 5,249.34 ft). This side of the mountain halts clouds burdened with precipitation, causing that side to be relatively fertile. Atop the mountain is a military post with a radar, and what is reportedly the shrine of Shu'ayb: https://books.google.com/books?redir_esc...ume&q=شعيب, https://books.google.com/books?redir_esc...يب&f=false, https://books.google.com/books?id=8SsqDg...يب&f=false
In April 2019, Ahmad Zein Al-Yafei from Dubai scaled the mountain in 69 hours. He mentioned that reaching the summit was hard, long and tiring, having to go through low levels of oxygen, air pressure and temperature: https://gulfnews.com/uae/dubai-security-...1.63177391
