# Was The Arabian Desert Once Lush and Green? (Like the Sahara)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-arabian-desert-once-lush-and-green-like-the-sahara/611916>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 6, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-arabian-desert-once-lush-and-green-like-the-sahara/611916 "2012-02-06T01:04:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-arabian-desert-once-lush-and-green-like-the-sahara/611916/1 "2012-02-06T01:04:46Z")

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I understand that thousands of years ago, much of the present-day Sahara Desert was wet and green. It had rivers and lakes, and trees. The Sahara dried up and became a desert (because the Mediterranean Sea cooled and ceased to provide moisture for rain over North Africa).  
Was the Arabian Peninsula always a desert? Or was it once nice and wet and green also?