East facing the Nile, the desert is located some 200 km south of Marsan Alam, near the border with Sudan.
It is a seemingly
dry desert river valley
which only floods occasionally during heavy rainfall. Some water, percolates down into the surrounding mountains; experienced locals are able to know how to access this water through local springs and wells.
The area is interesting as it remained outside Egyptian government control prior to 1992 and while some of the infrastructure has recently been modernized, much of the local way of life remains unchanged. The government has offered free electricity and water to try and encourage local Bedouin tribes to settle but many continue to make their living by herding goats and sheep or trading camels.
