Aretas III is king of the Nabataean kingdom from 87 to 62 BCE.

Aretas ascends to the throne upon the death of his brother, Obodas I, in 87 BCE.

During his reign, he extends his kingdom to cover what now forms the northern area of Jordan, the south of Syria, and part of Saudi Arabia.

Probably the greatest of Aretas' conquests is that of Damascus, which secures his country's place as a serious political power of its time.

Nabataea reaches its greatest territorial extent under Aretas' leadership.