The landscape of north west Saudi Arabia around the town of Tabuk is huge and barren. What little vegetation there is, is grazed down by camels. The many herds are cared for by Sudanese herders; these men ride their camels with a slow, graceful rhythm and somehow tolerate the unrelenting heat.

The huge sandstone buttes within the Hisma region are a dramatic landscape; the distinctive geology has a rich archaeological history.

There are as many reptiles as birds and a handful of insects; the only areas with more abundant wildlife are around rubbish dumps and pivot fields.