Hasma desert in the Tabuk region, which is located geologically within the Al-Saq Formation, includes distinctive rock formations that give visitors a feeling of antiquity, spaciousness and calmness. It attracts them to wander in its open museum of mountains and sandstone formed by erosion
over the centuries into geometric shapes and encourages them to explore its geological secrets.
One rock formation in Umm Sarhij, west of Tabuk, stands out as a landmark of the desert It is about 30 meters tall on a small and slender base. Its unique formation, as explained by Dr. Ahmed Al-Nashti, a former professor at the faculty of earth sciences at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, is due to the wind erosion over the years. Since the grains of sand blown by the wind against the rock were too heavy to be lifted higher than about a meter and a half, the erosion only affected the lower part. This makes for a rare and aesthetically very pleasing rock formation.
