Claim: The Syrian Desert spans 500,000 km2 of the Middle East.
Evidence: The Syrian Desert -LRB- بادية الشام , bādiyat ash-shām -RRB- also known as the Hamad , is a combination of steppe and true desert covering 500000 km2 the Middle East , covering parts of south-eastern Syria , northeastern Jordan , northern Saudi Arabia , and western Iraq.