Dahek Nature Reserve

Dahek Nature Reserve was established in the year 2018, located in the North-Eastern Badia within Zarqa Governorate’s borders. Its suggested southern borders are located 500m away from the Jordanian-Saudi borders, approximately 110km’s east of the capital Amman, and south the international road connecting Amman and Baghdad. The reserve’s suggested area is about 265 square kilometers and is located within the desert region which covers over 70% of the Kingdom’s area. Badia climate is prevalent in the area, where it is considered one of the most areas drought-prone since it located in a subtropical region. Its climate is characterized by low and fluctuating annual rainfall (70-100mm) with no monthly or seasonal distribution as they come in the form of rainstorms and floods. As to temperatures, the region is generally characterized by high temperatures reaching 45°C in summer with high evaporation rates. Its climate is commonly scorching in summer and very cold in winter.

The proposed reserve is located east of the Omari border center, which is a flat desert region featured by sand and silt dunes and dry limestone hills. Part of the area contains dense vegetation. The region’s name was chosen because its white stones resemble ivory teeth that are revealed through laughter and, therefore, the name “Dahek” which means the laughing. This muddy and sandy spate bed and white desert appear after al-Hurra’s blackness and ruggedness, bringing joy to the spirit.

Dahek desert reserve is considered a museum of geological in Jordan which including assorted terrains and natural sculptured which it’s rare in the world and you can see like it in Brazil and Egypt only.

Dahek is an ideal viewpoint, within a safe viewing experience that minimizes environmental impact, to see significant geological formations of white chalk cliffs and stunning landscapes. Wadi Dahek is named after the Arabic word Dahek that means a person who smiles, for its resemblance to a wide smile of white chalky teeth against the backdrop of the Black Desert. Dahek shows evidence of an ancient sea; 55 million years ago, this area was covered by Tethys Ocean. Geology and fossils show evidence of its ancient marine life, such as shark teeth. Dahek’s remoteness makes it an ideal spot for observing the moon and stargazing