The properties of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained from Tunisian oleaginous seeds, grown in arid places with no need of supplementary water, are studied to assess their potential use as biodiesel: devil horn Ibicella lutea, cotton thistle Onopordum nervosum arabicum, Sirian rue Peganum harmala, horse celery Smyrnium olusatrum and silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium. Some key properties such as cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, oxidation stability, cetane number, density, kinematic viscosity, heating value and oxygen extended sooting index have been predicted using equations that correlate the above properties with their ester profiles.