@helga19 recently asked me to share some of my experiences of Saudi Arabia. I will when time allow go through my photos and remember as much as I can about the experiences.
I was in Saudi Arabia for work from July 2007 to December 2010. In that time, most weekend I would go out hiking throughout the desert and sometimes camping. Going in the desert does have many dangers so it pays to go in groups. Driving in the desert with the right vehicle can be safely done but I have also seen several serious accidents.
One of my camping trips was to the Abu Jifan Fort, in the Riyadh Province.King Abdul Aziz had the fort built in 1332 (Hijri Calendar) which converts to 1914 (Gregorian Calendar). Only materials from the surrounding area could be used to build the fort, which included, wood, mud (water and whatever could be found to mix it with). Over the years the fort got deserted due to tribal wars. In most recent decades, restoration was done but very slowly due to the remote desert area, and it was also damaged again by vandals that had nothing better to do. Abu Jifan Fort is 109 kms (as the bird flies) from Riyadh, and in the desert the are just tracks but they can also be lost due to the sand movements.
Our group camped nearby for one night after travelling there which was very hot and dry. We all catered for ourselves but enjoyed a campfire and a lot of talk, singing, and laughter. Being in the desert does have dangers, with snakes, scorpions, and camel spiders. The following day, we visited the fort which was abandoned. After having a good look around the area, we headed back to Riyadh.
Here are some photos. The photo of the well, was the only well in the area which is well and truly dried up now.