Lost CivilizationsHidden city built 5,000 years ago by lost advanced civilization discovered underneath vast desert Posted on May 28, 2025 by Administrator For centuries, the Rub’ al-Khali desert near Saudi Arabia and Dubai — known as the Empty Quarter — was dismissed as a lifeless sea of sand. But now, it’s revealing an astonishing secret. In 2002, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, spotted unusual dune formations and a large black deposit while flying over the desert.