Why Saudi Arabia is covered in perfect circles

Johnny and I went down a rabbit hole to understand Saudi Arabia’s massive farms.

Just south of the Saudi Arabian town of Tubarjal, there’s an expanse of farmland that stretches to the horizon and beyond. It’s a baffling 3,000 square kilometers of lush green fields, densely packed into a grid-like pattern. And it’s right in the middle of one of the biggest deserts in the world.

Johnny found this place on Google Earth while preparing for a field shoot in Saudi Arabia, and called me with a question: What are these fields doing in the middle of the desert? And how did this country manage to grow so many crops in such an inhospitable environment? Finding the answer took us on a journey through 40 years of drastic change in the desert kingdom.

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-- CHAPTER TITLES --
00:00 - 01:18 | Intro
01:19 - 6:05 | The research begins
06:06 - 09:40 | Where the water comes from
09:40 - 11:25 | Seeing the circles
11:26 - 13:51 | Why fields are turning brown
13:52 - 16:31 | What comes next?

[fawazw]

As a Saudi, I’d like to add some key facts to this discussion. Yes, Saudi Arabia has tapped underground water for decades, but we’re also leading the world in desalination. With 33 desalination plants it’s 8 on the Arabian Gulf and 25 on the Red Sea. We produce over 5.6 million cubic meters of freshwater daily ~1.48 billion gallons/day. This water is delivered nationwide through an 8, 000 km pipeline network ~4, 970 miles and that is roughly the distance from LA, to NY or same as traveling from Lisbon, to Moscow, and then returning to Lisbon, the network includes massive projects like the Jubail-Riyadh pipeline (824 km long ~512 miles, serving Riyadh daily fresh water). We are drinking clean and fresh sea water in every home while preserving natural resources.

[ZhenYaoYin]

If I had a nickel for every time I watched a video where Cristophe investigates circles in a desert, I'd have two nickels…which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[ABH]

Saudi Arabia is one amazing country tbh, i was so impressed when i visited it

[danieldevries]

This was really cool!

I’m a farmer in the southern California desert, and we too have to be very diligent in our water usage. There’s a balance that needs to be had between food production and conservation of water.

At the end of the video the gentleman used the term “exploit” to refer to the farmer’s use of water. I mean maybe they could of been better stewards of their water, but I really don’t think they were exploiting it. They’re using it to produce food, that’s one of the best uses for water.

[TMWriting]

I LOVE that you show us all of the tools you use to make these videos and do this reporting. A lot of these post-Vox journalism videos can sort of blur together, and that little detail makes this channel stand out so clearly to me. I’m thrilled that it’s part of your mission here!

[AffanSyedx]

I was born and raised Saudi, did a lot of flying. Always was fascinated by these, glad I wasn't the only one.

[mr.yellowstrat]

These aren't "YouTube videos" anymore these are legitimate films. Impressive editing

[pandaeclipse]

Born and raised in Saudi, and i've always been curious about these massive circular farms in the middle of the desert. But I always thought that the ground water saudi tapped into should be limited due to years of misuse. Glad you made a video as I can now know more about it.

[qb]

Thank you so much for this amazing video! As a proud Saudi, I truly share your sense of awe when it comes to these massive agricultural circles. I remember discovering them on Google Maps as a kid, and the first time I saw them from above during a flight, I was completely mesmerized. Even now, every time I fly over them, I feel the same excitement and admiration—it’s a stunning sight that never gets old.

Regarding your point about "shifting burdens to other countries, " I think the comparison isn't entirely accurate. It's like saying a country poor in oil should become a major oil exporter, or that a non-agricultural country should be expected to export food. Saudi investments in underutilized agricultural lands abroad are not about exploitation—they’re part of an economic collaboration that benefits both sides. These investments create local jobs, improve agricultural infrastructure, and inject billions of dollars into the host countries’ economies.
With global food demand increasing, optimizing the use of underutilized farmlands is not just a necessity but also part of the solution to feeding a growing population.
Thanks again for bringing attention to this topic—your curiosity and storytelling are truly refreshing, and I appreciate you shedding light on something so unique and fascinating!

[like.sa.cm]

لا ياشيخ ،
الكلام الي قلته في نوع من الصحه
اولا كان فيه دعم على القمح فلذالك كانت الزراعة كثيرة
ثانيا المياه الجوفيه مب محدودة لان اكتشفو انه هناك انهار تجري تحت الما فلا يضير انك تسحب الماء من تحت الارض بكميات كبيرة
واخيرا هذولي اسمهن محوريات وهو رشاش ما يدور على مركز الدائرة وهو شي اساسي للزراعة بالسعودية
ونقطه اخيره :
ترت كان يمديك تسال اهل المزارع وبيرحبون فيك ويعطوك الجواب الكافي الشافي بدال هالتعب والمطرسة الفاضيه وشكرا❤❤

[samuelkimuhu]

Is there something specific you all leaned at Vox that makes y'all so good at reporting, story-telling and motion graphics? Johnny, Cleo, Sam and yourself were previously at Vox, and I love how in-depth and well-researched your videos are, and how well you design your motion graphics. Keep up the good work though!

[mikkymonkey]

On a flight to India I crossed Saudi Arabia by day and I saw those circles and thought wondered. I’m really happy you uploaded this

[tylershannon]

Farmer here. Its amazing how they're turning literal sand in fertile farmland. Are they bringing in tons of organic matter or are they just irrigating insane amounts of water? Sand doesnt hold water, so you'd have to have a literal steady adding of water, not to mention the insane evaporation from the very hot, very dry air.

[lllllMlllll]

So you are going to ignore all the initiatives and innovations in seawater desalination and all the millions of low water consumption trees being planted, all the innovation in irrigation systems to plant olive in the north that made Saudi Arabia one of the biggest exporter of olive oil. You are going to ignore the South of Saudi Arabia that is receiving rain daily. You are going to ignore all the dams built and you are going to talk about the wheat issue decades ago. Research your topics instead of making a fool of yourself.

[dark_]

Did you know that the semi-tropical forests in Saudi Arabia constitute 15% of its area, which is a percentage larger than the area of ​​some European countries, and is located in southern Saudi Arabia? Also, your talk about the drying up of groundwater is incorrect, as they discovered the existence of underground rivers that renew these lakes.

[SassyPants]

Love how at 15:02 it loosk like the farms just absorbed all the water...

[Guus]

I found these in egypt aswell when I was traveling down to Aswan. I was completely obsessed with them for a few days too. Nice to see you guys had the same :)

[yaserabdulaziz]

Search about Saudi Arabia desalination projects. It'll blow your mind

[RyanGray]

For scale, that one section of farms is the size of Yellowstone National Park.

[Sergio.Barrientos]

Your editing is so good. I feel inspired watching you every time and try to learn more for my own videos. Love from Brazil ❤