A canyon of columns
Three canyons meet to form Wadi al-Disah, which runs for 125 km from the al-Harrah mountains of Harrat al-Rahah and drains to the Red Sea south of Duba. Its sandstone has been carved by water and wind into towers and walls up to 250 m high, most of them still unexplored.
Al-Disah village lies about 200 km from Tabuk city, and the valley falls within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve. Remnants of old walls in the valley bear Nabataean and Kufic Arabic inscriptions, and in neighbouring Wadi Damah human presence goes back to 3000 BC.
Water in the desert
Its tributary Wadi Qaraqir is rich in springs, among them al-Zarqa, al-Tarif and al-Namatiyah, which flow year-round. Palms crowd the banks, with papyrus, oleander and henna, and local farms grow citrus, bananas, mangoes and mint.
The valley was brought into the Public Investment Fund's development projects in 2018, when the Wadi al-Disah Development Project was launched on 20 November. A 35 km road has been laid for visitors.