Saudi Arabia sees rare snow in 30 years

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has witnessed rare snowfall in several parts of the country, including the northern regions, where such event has been reported for the first time in 30 years.

The white blanket that covered vast desert areas from Tuwaiq mountain range in the west to regions near Riyadh.

The rare event has sparked excitement and disbelief among residents who have shared videos and photos of the Gulf nation blanketed in white and has left residents in awe.

Snowfall transformed parts of the country into an unexpected winter playground.

A video shared on X captured an unusual scene of a group of camels standing in desert area covered in snow, with dark clouds looming overhead.

Another video showed adults enjoying the snow by skiing, celebrating and capturing a scene rarely seen in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia, a country synonymous with searing heat and vast desert landscapes experienced temperatures dipping below 0°C in some regions, creating favorable conditions for snow accumulation across higher ground.

The cold wave was also accompanied by widespread rainfall across several regions.

The rare episode once again underlined how climate change is harboring unusual weather in regions that are far from preparations to handle it.

According to National Centre for Meteorology NCM, “the conditions were driven by a cold air mass pushing into central and northern regions and temperatures were expected to remain low.”

Additionally, the NCM has forecast a high chance of heavy snowfall for Qassim region and northern parts of Riyadh on Thursday December 25, 2025 as an intense weather system continues to affect large areas of the kingdom.

Authorities have cautioned the public to exercise extreme care during the severe weather.