Wadi Juraydhi, Riyadh

Wadi Juraydhi "A Wadi is a river valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season."

July 2025: At this time of year, the central Saudi hinterland is dotted with dry wadi beds. These 'still, and often green' locations are great places to 'pitch your tent' for a night out in the desert in the middle of summer. The surrounding trees catch the last remaining puff of wind, keeping the dry heat at bay and lowering the nighttime temperature.  

Wadi Juraydhi is roughly 24 miles in length (depending on the route you take to reach it)

Wadi Juraydhi is not far from Janadriyah, located northeast of Riyadh on the edge of King Khalid Royal Reserve. We used the Indian head road (Route 5309) to reach our off-road point. This is easy off-road driving and a great trip to explore some stunning trails and connect with our fellow adventurers.

Relaxing in the shade

Many of the principles for desert driving apply to off-road driving. It's important to drive in a single-file convoy, maintain a safe distance from the car in front, be aware of the driver behind you, and be mindful that losing sight of him can indicate he needs help. Additionally, it's essential to respect the local environment and stick to existing tracks.

Wadi Juraydhi has good, easy-to-follow tracks. The tracks can be slightly bumpy or have surprise sandy patches. But overall, this trip is off-road driving rather than dune bashing, as the area we are heading to has no real dunes to contend with.  

Once we got off the main road, we anticipated reaching our campsite would take another 45 minutes (with an estimated arrival time of 6 pm, with sunset at 6:45 pm).

For those of us with drones and cameras, golden hour, when the sun sinks into the horizon, is the all-important moment to try to capture an epic shot that will sum up our trip.   

We have packed for dinner under the stars and a light breakfast as the sun rises, with plenty of water and beverages to stay hydrated.  

Due to the rugged terrain, this trip is better suited for sleeping outdoors on a cot bed than in a ground tent. The thermometer dropped significantly overnight to a low of 21.8°C, making it refreshingly cooler than expected.

Recent updates from various Saudi government departments concerning camping in the Kingdom highlight the importance of adhering to guidelines for managed National Parks and Reserves. Reviewing these guidelines is essential to helping protect these pristine natural areas.

A small herd of Arabian Oryx visited our camp at 3 am (we were taken by surprise, too sleepy and unprepared in the dead of night to take photos..), but what an exciting prospect for the future of Saudi Nature Reserves that visitors will one day see native animals in the wild. (Image credit Animalia.bio)

You can visit Nabati or Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority for more information on this subject.

Ranger visit to say Ahlan

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable experience exploring the Saudi countryside this summer! It's cooler than you think!

*** For this short overnight trip to Wadi Juraydhi, we departed Riyadh at 4.30 p.m. and returned home by 10 a.m. the next day, thereby avoiding the hottest part of the day.