ABSTRACT
In writing a book about Saudi Arabia’s environment I am aware that many readers might have little knowledge of this part of the world. My aim in this chapter is to provide a very brief background to the Kingdom’s geography and history. Contrary to popular belief, Saudi Arabia is not just a land of endless sand dunes, magic carpets
and Tales From a Thousand and One Nights. It is, however, a land of spectacular scenery and contrasts, from the verdant mountain valleys of the high Asir region, to the endless dunes of the Empty Quarter and the black, basaltic, lava fields of the Arabian Shield.
