• Snow blankets Saudi Arabia’s deserts for first time in 30 years

    A rare widespread snowfall event affected northern Saudi Arabia in December 2025, transforming desert landscapes and mountain ranges across Tabuk and Hail into snow-covered terrain. The snowfall occurred as a sharp cold air intrusion lowered temperatures below freezing at higher elevations, with snow settling near 2 600 m (8 530 feet) and surface temperatures reported near −4°C (25°F), according to regional media reports. Such widespread snowfall over desert areas is considered exceptionally uncommon for the region.

  • Highly unusual spring snowfall in Saudi Arabia

    Spring snowfall turned mountains of northwestern Saudi Arabia into white on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Clouds began to form early Sunday over Jabal Al-Lawz in Tabuk Province and by sunset, snow covered all the area, Arab News reports. Authorities sent security patrols,…

  • Snow and hail blanket parts of the Arabian Desert

    While most of the Middle East suffered prolonged heavy rains and deadly floods over the past 30 days, winter weather hit parts of the Arabian Peninsula, covering its deserts in a layer of snow. Northern Saudi cities, including Ha’il, al-Jouf and Tabuk…

  • April snowstorm covers parts of Saudi Arabia in white

    The Asir region of Saudi Arabia was covered with snow as the weather witnessed a change in temperature, Saudi news Agency SPA reported on April 3, 2018. The region experienced rain and snow for six hours, which covered the mountains and roads in white including the…

  • Saudi Arabia deserts covered in snow, followed by deadly floods

    The deserts of Saudi Arabia were covered in snow at the end of November 2016, bringing joy to surprised Saudis who marked the occasion building snowmen. However, the weather soon turned very serious, and deadly. The first snowfall in northern parts of the country…