Parts of Saudi Arabia’s northern desert turned white this week after a rare and heavy snowfall. In areas like Tabuk and Al-Jawf, the golden sand dunes were covered in heavy snow as temperatures dropped below freezing. Images of camels walking through the snowy desert have surfaced on social media platforms.
Snowfall in northern Saudi Arabia is unusual but has occurred in the past, particularly in the higher elevations of the Tabuk region, where snow has been sporadic over the years.
Why is this happening?
According to the Saudi National Center for Meteorology (NCM), the worst cold wave ever recorded in the kingdom took place in 1992, when temperatures at the Hail weather station in the northwest fell to a record -9.3°C in January. Historical reports also note that in January 1973, a powerful Siberian polar outbreak reportedly brought nearly 20 centimeters of snow to Riyadh.
The ongoing cold wave is partly related to climate change. Specialists from the World Meteorological Organization note that the Arab region is warming at almost twice the global average. This creates what scientists describe as the “warming paradox,” where higher temperatures allow the atmosphere to hold more moisture, resulting in stronger and more extreme weather events.
Why is it snowing in Saudi Arabia?
Although Saudi Arabia is largely a desert, it is known for its extreme summer heat – often exceeding 50°C – snowfall can still occur and is not uncommon in some areas. This happens due to a combination of geographical features and atmospheric conditions:
High-altitude areas, such as the northern mountainous regions, including Jabal Al-Lawz, which rises above 2,600 meters, experience significantly lower temperatures than the surrounding lowlands. During the winter months (December to February) these elevations can be cold enough for snow.
Also, strong cold fronts moving south from the Mediterranean or northern regions can push temperatures below freezing.
When cold air interacts with moisture from rain systems associated with the Mediterranean or Arabian Sea, precipitation forms. If temperatures are cold enough, this precipitation falls as snow instead of rain.
Saudi Arabia experienced an unusual snow event on 18 December 2025, with northern areas including Tabuk and the surrounding area of Jabal Al-Lawz covered in snow.
Snowfall in deserts is rare, but it does happen occasionally. Several of the world’s deserts have experienced snowfall, including the Sahara Desert in Algeria (notably in 1979 and again in 2018), the Atacama Desert in Chile, and parts of the Mojave Desert in the United States. These events are unusual and usually occur when cold air masses combine with sufficient moisture.
