Free entry

Liwa Oasis / Empty Quarter

The 300 m Moreeb Dune — the gate to the Empty Quarter, the world's largest sand desert.

Address: Liwa, Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi
Time to allow: 600 min
Website: visitabudhabi.ae/en/places-to-visit/desert-and-nature/liwa-desert

What's special

★Moreeb Hill — 300 m, 50°
★Gateway to the Empty Quarter
★Qasr Al Sarab resort
★Liwa Festival (Dec–Jan)

Liwa is the oasis on the edge of the Rub' al Khali — the Empty Quarter, the world's largest sand desert. The headline sight is Tel Moreeb (Moreeb Hill), 300 m tall and 50° steep, host to the annual Liwa International Festival hill-climb race. The mood is surreal: a clean horizon, no cities. Lodging upmarket — Qasr Al Sarab (Anantara) with desert safari, plus Mövenpick.

Tips

2.5 hours from Abu Dhabi, 3.5 from Dubai. A 4×4 is essential off-tarmac. Best October–April. Hit Moreeb at sunset for the country's most dramatic shot. Liwa Festival sits around UAE National Day (December) — motorsports and cultural shows.