Saudi Arabia red storm in pictures

Riyadh: Saudi authorities recently issued a weather warning after an intense sandstorm enveloped most of the Kingdom. The red storm in Saudi Arabia led to low visibility and created problems for people suffering from respiratory diseases.

In the Arabian Peninsula’s hot, dry climate, dust storms are anything but rare. Saudi Arabia is 95 percent desert. Rub’ Al Khali, the biggest desert in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the largest sand deserts in the world, occupies southern Saudi Arabia. Closer to the borders with Iraq and Kuwait is An-Nafud Desert, whose sand dunes often exceed a height of 30 meters (100 feet). Added to these giant masses of sand are sizzling summertime temperatures and erratic precipitation.

Here’s a collection of pictures from Saudi Arabia’s sandstorm which social media users called red storm: