This study presents a CFD-DEM model and its validation for solids drying in a gas-fluidized bed. The model was validated against experimental data from De Munck et al. (2022). The simulations were compared with experimental results for pressure drop, solids volume fluxes, particle temperatures, and particle densities. The results showed reasonable agreement between the simulations and experiments. A connection was found between the local bed hydrodynamics and the local solids density distribution. The study used a CFD-DEM approach to simulate the drying process in a pseudo-2D gas-fluidized bed. The model incorporated the heat exchange with the column walls and used a fine overset grid to resolve the thermal boundary layer. A thermal image reconstruction method was introduced to compare simulation data with experimental thermal images. The simulations showed clear differences between the lowest and other superficial gas velocities. In the lowest velocity case, the bed was initially in a fixed state due to increased particle density. As hot gas was introduced, the bottom particles dried faster, leading to a propagating heat front and a bed inversion where lower-density material started to rise. The other two cases were in a fluidizing state, with a reasonable correspondence between the model and experimental data. The pressure drop over the bed was reduced in both experiments and simulations. The solids volume fluxes revealed an altered fluidization regime due to solids density reduction. The solids density distribution was affected by the bed hydrodynamics. A clear connection was found between the asymmetrical time-averaged solids volume fluxes and the local density distribution. The CFD-DEM model demonstrated its capabilities in simulating solids drying in a gas-fluidized bed. The model showed similar behavior to the experimental data, but some discrepancies were noted. The largest differences were observed in the lowest superficial gas velocity case, where a transition from a fixed to a fluidized bed was observed. In fluidizing systems, the model was able to largely describe the local details as observed in the experiments.This study presents a CFD-DEM model and its validation for solids drying in a gas-fluidized bed. The model was validated against experimental data from De Munck et al. (2022). The simulations were compared with experimental results for pressure drop, solids volume fluxes, particle temperatures, and particle densities. The results showed reasonable agreement between the simulations and experiments. A connection was found between the local bed hydrodynamics and the local solids density distribution. The study used a CFD-DEM approach to simulate the drying process in a pseudo-2D gas-fluidized bed. The model incorporated the heat exchange with the column walls and used a fine overset grid to resolve the thermal boundary layer. A thermal image reconstruction method was introduced to compare simulation data with experimental thermal images. The simulations showed clear differences between the lowest and other superficial gas velocities. In the lowest velocity case, the bed was initially in a fixed state due to increased particle density. As hot gas was introduced, the bottom particles dried faster, leading to a propagating heat front and a bed inversion where lower-density material started to rise. The other two cases were in a fluidizing state, with a reasonable correspondence between the model and experimental data. The pressure drop over the bed was reduced in both experiments and simulations. The solids volume fluxes revealed an altered fluidization regime due to solids density reduction. The solids density distribution was affected by the bed hydrodynamics. A clear connection was found between the asymmetrical time-averaged solids volume fluxes and the local density distribution. The CFD-DEM model demonstrated its capabilities in simulating solids drying in a gas-fluidized bed. The model showed similar behavior to the experimental data, but some discrepancies were noted. The largest differences were observed in the lowest superficial gas velocity case, where a transition from a fixed to a fluidized bed was observed. In fluidizing systems, the model was able to largely describe the local details as observed in the experiments.