Anantara Qasr al Sarab

Deep in the Liwa Desert of Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter, where the Rub’ al Khali — the largest continuous sand desert in the world — begins its southward expansion into the Arabian Peninsula, Anantara Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort occupies a position of remarkable geological drama among the highest dunes in the UAE. The resort’s architecture of mud-brick ramparts and wind towers draws on the qasr, the desert fortified dwelling, as its primary formal reference, creating a cluster of buildings that appear to have grown from the sand rather than been placed upon it. The 154 rooms, suites, and villas are arranged within the qasr walls, with upper-level rooms looking directly over the dune crests to the horizon of sand that extends uninterrupted in every direction.

Falconry, camel treks, dune drives, archery with traditional Bedouin bows, and sandboarding are among the desert activities organised through the resort’s programme, and the quality of the nocturnal sky above the Empty Quarter — the darkest available in the UAE — makes stargazing a natural evening extension to the day’s activities. The spa’s treatments are drawn from the traditional Arab wellness practices of hammam, desert mineral scrubs, and the therapeutic use of camel milk, which contains properties long understood in Bedouin medicine and now validated by contemporary nutritional research. Dining on the outdoor terraces at sunset, when the dunes shift through gold and amber, provides one of the region’s most cinematically beautiful meal settings.

Anantara Qasr Al Sarab’s environmental approach engages with the challenges of operating in one of the world’s most extreme and ecologically sensitive ecosystems, with water recycling, solar energy, and the elimination of single-use plastics forming the basis of an environmental management programme appropriate to the fragility of the Rub’ al Khali’s shifting landscape.