Harrat al-Sham

The Harrat comprises volcanic fields formed by tectonic activity from the Oligocene through to the Quaternary.^[9] It is the largest of several volcanic fields on the Arabian Plate,^[10] containing more than 800 volcanic cones and around 140 dikes.^[9] Activity began during the Miocene; an earlier eruptive stage at the southeastern end of the volcanic field, occurred during the late Pleistocene and the Holocene.^[11] It is known to have erupted in historic times.^[12][13]

The Jabal al-Druze, al-Safa and Dirat al-Tulul volcanic fields, among others, form the northern and Syrian part of the ḥarra. The Saudi Arabian portion of the Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field extends across a 210 km (130 miles)-long, roughly 75 km (47 miles)-wide northwest-southeast-trending area on the northeastern flanks of the Wadi Sirhan and reaches its 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) high point at Jabal al-Amud. It is in the Tabuk Province of northwest Saudi Arabia.^[14][15] and is one of a series of Quaternary volcanic fields paralleling the Red Sea coast.

The Harrat has traditionally been occupied by nomadic Bedouin of the Anizah confedaration.^[16][17] It It is primarily associated with the Ahl al-Jabal tribe, who graze sheep, goats, donkeys and camels there, but the Rwala, Zbaid, Ghayyath, Sardiyya and other tribes also use the area at times.^[17] Although the region as a whole is too dry for rainfed agriculture, seasonal wetlands such as the Qa' Shubayqa are used for growing cereals after they are flooded by winter rains.^[17][18] In the second half of the 20th century, many Bedouin settled in the village of Safawi, which grew up around a pumping station on the Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline (H5).^[19]

• Desert kites

• Syrian Desert
• Hauran, a historical region partially overlapping with the Harrat al-Sham
• List of volcanoes in Saudi Arabia
• Sarawat Mountains
  • Midian Mountains