Deserts in Saudi Arabia have been blanketed in snow and ice following an extremely rare ‘historical hailstorm’.

Snow and ice covered the dunes, after temperatures dropped below freezing, prompting locals to enjoy the weather and have snowball fights.

Saudi Arabians flocked to Jabal al-Lawz, otherwise known as Almond Mountain, in the northwestern region of Tabuk, as snow covered the area.

Each year, people head to the 8464ft (2580 metre) mountain when snow falls and set up tents and picnics to experience the cold weather.

Meanwhile, new images of the Sahara Desert blanketed in snow have appeared this week on social media.

The Sahara is the world’s driest desert, with temperatures soaring up to 50 C. Along with Death Valley in California and certain cities near the equator like Dallol in Ethiopia and Wadi Halfa in Sudan, it’s one of the hottest places on earth.

The enormous desert spans 11 countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia. Sand dunes can reach up to 180 metres high and water is scarce in the region.

The region has experienced snow just a handful of times in the past 40 years. The only previous recorded incidences of snow in Ain Sefra were 1979, 2017, 2018, and 2021.

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