A range of mountains runs parallel to the relatively narrow coastal plains along
the Red Sea. It extends from the North gradually increasing in elevation to the South,
with its highest peak rising to 2,750 meters in Asir. The Najd plateau extends eastward
from the mountains, gradually sloping down toward the Arabian Gulf. To the Southeast of
the Najd plateau stretches the vast desert of the legendary Empty Quarter (Rub-al-Khali).
Saudi Arabia is warm and dry. However, the climate along the coastal regions
is hot and humid in the summer and moderate during winter with occasional rainfall between
November and February. The central region is warm most of the year with temperatures
reaching as high as 45-50 degrees Centigrade (113-122 Fahrenheit) during summer.
