In the vast, sun-scorched expanse of Saudi Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali desert, known evocatively as the Empty Quarter – lies a marvel of modern infrastructure that defies both geography and expectation.
Highway 10, stretching between Haradh and Al Batha in the Eastern Province, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest straight road on Earth: an astonishing 240 kilometres (149 miles) without a single bend, curve, or gradient.
Originally constructed as a private route for King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, this stretch of road was designed to cut through one of the most remote and inhospitable landscapes in the region. Today, it forms part of a broader 1,480-kilometre highway that links the Saudi–UAE border to the western reaches of the kingdom, but it’s the perfectly linear segment that has captured global attention – not just for its engineering precision, but for the surreal experience it offers to those who traverse it.
Driving Highway 10 is a hypnotic affair. With no turns to navigate and no elevation to climb, the journey becomes a meditative glide through a desert that seems to stretch endlessly in every direction. The estimated driving time is just over two hours, but the psychological effect of such uniformity can be disorienting. Authorities caution against speeding or reckless driving, as the featureless terrain can lull motorists into a false sense of security.
The road’s record-breaking status surpasses Australia’s Eyre Highway, which previously held the title with a 146-kilometre straight section. Highway 10’s achievement is not just a point of pride for Saudi Arabia, it’s a symbol of the country’s ambitious infrastructure development and its growing prominence in global transport and tourism narratives.
For business travellers and logistics operators, the road offers a strategic corridor through the desert, connecting industrial hubs and facilitating cross-border movement. For adventurers and road trip enthusiasts, it’s a bucket-list drive – an encounter with the sublime simplicity of the desert and the audacity of human design.
In a world of winding mountain passes and coastal switchbacks, Highway 10 stands apart. It’s not just the longest straight road – it’s a testament to vision, scale, and the quiet drama of going forward without deviation.