It depends where you are.
If you are within and around Gobi desert then the landscape is more or less like desert, although there are distinctive places of high erosion. These have distinctive red and yellowish colours. I suggest anyhow to ignore them.
If the population is Arab style then you can use adobes as well. I also suggest to use more elaborated painted schemes.
If you go to areas that the population is mixed, then you have to mix Chinese, Indian, Mongol etc buildings and yurts. So, think that you are in the Arab quarters and you may be right.
Checking for images at Google for Samarqand, Kashgar, Gobi desert or Silk Road will give you some more inspiration.
Anyhow our hobby is also fantasy and also not all of us have a lot of funds to produce dedicated terrain pieces for every part of the world our adventures bring us. The best is to compromise a little. Use your terrain pieces and just add small spots to have variety.
Hope I helped you