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DataPulseنبض البياناتالعربية

Nafud al-Ghamis* نفود الغميس

Nafud (sand desert) in Qassim Region · 27 km southeast of Al-Badaea البدائع

No visible spring around it now

From the latest satellite image: the best reading in 26 September – 3 October 2026 · 15–22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH. This page updates every night.

Open it on the mapDirections in Google Maps

Original Arabic page: نفود الغميس

When does Nafud al-Ghamis usually green?

From satellite imagery since 2002

It greened around it in 4 of the last 24 years in the spring months (November to April).

In October alone: it greened around it in 0 of 24 years since 2002.

20022025
Each bar is a season: how many of the months November to April greened around the place, from November 2002 – April 2003 (Sha'ban 1423 – Safar 1424 AH) to November 2025 – April 2026 (Jumada al-Ula – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH). The tallest bar = greened in every month, an empty one = did not green. The orange bar is the latest season.
The numbers
Green months in each season
SeasonMonths it greened
November 2002 – April 2003 (Sha'ban 1423 – Safar 1424 AH)0 of 6
November 2003 – April 2004 (Ramadan 1424 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1425 AH)1 of 6
November 2004 – April 2005 (Ramadan 1425 – Rabi' al-Awwal 1426 AH)0 of 6
November 2005 – April 2006 (Ramadan 1426 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1427 AH)0 of 6
November 2006 – April 2007 (Shawwal 1427 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1428 AH)0 of 6
November 2007 – April 2008 (Shawwal 1428 – Rabi' al-Akhir 1429 AH)0 of 6
November 2008 – April 2009 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1429 – Jumada al-Ula 1430 AH)0 of 6
November 2009 – April 2010 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1430 – Jumada al-Ula 1431 AH)0 of 6
November 2010 – April 2011 (Dhu al-Qa'dah 1431 – Jumada al-Ula 1432 AH)0 of 6
November 2011 – April 2012 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1432 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1433 AH)0 of 6
November 2012 – April 2013 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1433 – Jumada al-Akhirah 1434 AH)0 of 6
November 2013 – April 2014 (Dhu al-Hijjah 1434 – Rajab 1435 AH)0 of 6
November 2014 – April 2015 (Muharram – Rajab 1436 AH)0 of 6
November 2015 – April 2016 (Muharram – Rajab 1437 AH)0 of 6
November 2016 – April 2017 (Safar – Sha'ban 1438 AH)0 of 6
November 2017 – April 2018 (Safar – Sha'ban 1439 AH)0 of 6
November 2018 – April 2019 (Safar – Sha'ban 1440 AH)0 of 6
November 2019 – April 2020 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1441 AH)0 of 6
November 2020 – April 2021 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1442 AH)0 of 6
November 2021 – April 2022 (Rabi' al-Awwal – Ramadan 1443 AH)0 of 6
November 2022 – April 2023 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Shawwal 1444 AH)0 of 6
November 2023 – April 2024 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Shawwal 1445 AH)4 of 6
November 2024 – April 2025 (Rabi' al-Akhir – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1446 AH)4 of 6
November 2025 – April 2026 (Jumada al-Ula – Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH)1 of 6

The maps have 3 nearby points named «نفود الغميس» in Qassim Region, and none has visible spring around it now. The figures on this page are for the point drawn on the map.

We calculate “greened around it” from a monthly image (MODIS, NASA) on 1 km cells within about 5 km of the point, using the same definition of spring as the map. A year missing more than a third of its monthly images is not counted.

Access and the rules of the place

Before you go: cars, reserves and camping
  • Do not drive into a rawdah or faydah (meadow); leave your car on the road and walk. Some reserves require a permit for all or part of them (such as As-Summan and Ad-Dahna in King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve), so check the reserve’s conditions before you go.
  • Bringing cars and quad bikes into protected rawdahs and faydahs (meadows) is prohibited, and the fine doubles with repeat violations. Fine: SAR 500 the first time, SAR 1,000 the second time, SAR 2,000 the third time (per vehicle). Official source (in Arabic)
  • Driving off the designated tracks inside protected areas is a serious violation, and the fine is set according to the reserve and the extent of the damage. Fine: SAR 200 to SAR 10,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
  • Entering or crossing a protected area without a permit is a violation, and the warning principle applies to it. Fine: SAR 3,000 to SAR 5,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
  • Camping inside a protected area without a licence is a violation, and the warning principle applies to it. Fine: SAR 200 to SAR 10,000. Source: Umm Al-Qura gazette (in Arabic)
  • Camping in the open desert on vegetation-cover land is allowed only with a prior permit from the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development, requested online. Fine: Camping in forests or national parks without a licence: SAR 500 the first time, SAR 1,000 the second, SAR 3,000 the third (per camp). Request a permit · Official source (in Arabic)
  • A short individual camp permit (from 1 to 10 days) has no fee but is mandatory, and a season permit (3 months) has a fee of SAR 300, under the regulatory rules for desert camps (Decision Q/T/5/2025). Source (press report) (in Arabic)

We checked these rules on 3 October 2026 (22 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH). Regulations may change, and the authority’s website is the reference. The decision and its responsibility rest with you.

Nearby destinations

Straight-line distance

All destinations · Spring in Qassim Region now · The «Where is the spring?» map

Sources and the limits of the numbers

Sources: the NDVI greenness index from NASA MODIS (Terra and Aqua) and NOAA-20 imagery through the NASA GIBS service, and monthly images since 2002 for the comparison with past years; landmark names from Desert Maps (maps_ksa@); approximate reserve boundaries and road distances © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (data of 6 May 2026 (19 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1447 AH)); city names from DataPulse. The classification and areas are DataPulse calculations, not official figures.

The information is analytical to support decisions; it is not financial or investment advice. The decision and its responsibility rest with the user.