Medina is located in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. As the region was developing, more and more trade was going on between Arabia and Asia, so Medina was trying to engage into the trade as well.
Trading between Medina and Asia was not an easy task though. The city was located in the interior of the peninsula, so the sea routes were not helpful. The trade had to go through the land routes. The land though was covered with desert, the Nafud Desert.
This desert is a sandy one. There isn't a single stream running through it. It is one of the hottest places on Earth, and the sand strong were common occurrence. This made traveling through the desert very hard and very risky.
As if that was not enough, the terrain is also rugged in the area, as it is a plateau, so the movement and trade between Medina and Asia was made even harder.
