Most of Qatar is a flat and rocky, sandy plain. Low hills punctuate the landscape, west and central, with massive sand dunes in the southeast.
A few salt pans (shining white in the desert sun) line the western coastal areas, and within Qatar there are no perennial rivers or lakes.
The Hawar islands serve as a loading terminal for oil from the western oil fields.
Qatar's highest point is Qurayn Abu al Bawl, which peaks at 338 ft (103 m).
