A sabkha is a predominately coastal, supratidal mudflat or sandflat where evaporite-saline minerals accumulate due to semiarid or arid climates. These landforms are gradational features located within restricted coastal plains just above the normal high-tide level. Within these areas, mineral sediments typically accumulate beneath the surface of mudflats or sandflats.
The term sabkha is a phonetic transliteration of the Arabic word sabaka, which refers to various forms of salt flats, including salt marshes and salt swamps. While evidence of clastic sabkhas exists in geological records as far away as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the accepted type locality for a sabkha is situated on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates.
These coastal features are characterized by tidal-flood and aeolian deposits. They are also commonly referred to by other names, including sebkha or coastal sabkha.