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Arabian Plate
The Arabian Plate is actively rifting away from the African Plate along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a process that began about 30 million years ago. This divergence is creating new oceanic crust and will eventually transform the Red Sea into a new ocean basin. To the north, the plate collides with the Eurasian Plate, forming the Zagros Mountains in Iran. The Arabian Peninsula sits atop this dynamic plate, experiencing both extensional and compressional tectonics.
Plate Information
Size: 5 million km²
Movement: Northward
Speed: 2-3 cm/year
Countries: 10
Countries & Territories
Saudi Arabia
Yemen
Oman
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Bahrain
Kuwait
Iraq (partial)
Jordan (partial)
Syria (partial)
Key Facts
- Moving northward at about 2-3 cm per year
- Creating the Red Sea as it separates from Africa
- Collision with Eurasian Plate forms the Zagros Mountains
- Area of approximately 5 million km²