Mountains in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk: Popular destination for those looking for snow fun

JEDDAH: Local residents have been heading for the northwest of the Kingdom to enjoy the sight of the latest snowfall.

People in the Tabuk region near the Jordanian border woke up on New Year’s Day to find the desert sands covered in a blanket of white snow.

The Jabal Al-Lawz mountain range usually witnesses snowfall as the temperature drops, and winter is considered the most beautiful time of year in the region.

Faris Al-Harbi, an engineer who used to live in Tabuk, told Arab News: “Every year we wait for the snow to fall so that we can go to enjoy our aunt’s delicious kabsa (a traditional Saudi dish) cooked on the snow. It is one of our rituals.”

Saudi Arabia is known for its dry desert climate. But temperatures vary from region to region due to its diverse landscape that includes mountains, islands, deserts, caves, and valleys.

Snow usually falls in the northern mountainous regions of Turaif, Tabuk, Arar, and Rafha. Locals and visitors travel from different parts of the Kingdom to enjoy the crisp cold weather and snow activities such as snow sledding.

Badr Al-Gbl, who visits Tabuk during the winter, told Arab News: “Tabuk’s mountain peak witnesses snow every year, and it attracts the attention of all residents and visitors.”

The southwest of the Kingdom in the Asir region also sees some snow. Asir is home to the juniper-covered mountains of Soudah, the highest peak in Saudi Arabia, rising more than 3,000m above sea level.

The National Center for Meteorology has issued a forecast in the coming days of thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds in Asir, Jazan, Al-Madinah, Hail, the northern borders and Al-Jawf, and the Tabuk region, where more snowfall is expected.