Sharqiya Sands

The Sharqiya Sands is a region of desert in Oman. The region was named for the Bani Wahiba tribe. The area is defined by a boundary of 180 kilometers north to south and 80 kilometers east to west, with an area of 12,500 square kilometers. The desert has been of scientific interest since a 1986 expedition by the Royal Geographical Society documented the diversity of the terrain, the flora and fauna, noting 16,000 invertebrates as well as 200 species of other wildlife, including avifauna. They also documented 150 species of native flora.