Despite being a desert, Saudi Arabia is no stranger to occasional, isolated snowfall. (Photo: X/ @o2f) Camels walking on sand dunes as far as the eye can see – this is the image that comes to mind when one thinks about Saudi Arabia. Now, try imagining the desert sand dunes covered in a thick layer of snow! Unimaginable, right? As unbelievable as it may sound, the deserts of Saudi Arabia are witnessing a rare snowfall that has left many shocked.
Snowfall in Saudi Arabia
Over the past few days, snowfall has been reported from Jebel Al-Lawz and the Trojena highlands in Tabuk Province, Hail city in northern Saudi Arabia, Al-Nafūd Desert, and Al-Jawf region near Medina and Al-Majma’ah and Al-Ghat, regions located north of Riyadh.
Tabuk ❄️ 😍🇸🇦 #saudi_arabia pic.twitter.com/PSmqaGoVWI
— Life in Saudi Arabia (@LifeSaudiArabia) December 18, 2025
Heaviest snowfall in 30 years
It should be noted that despite being a desert, Saudi Arabia is no stranger to occasional, isolated snowfall.
Al-Jawf and Tabuk had witnessed snowfall in 2024 as well. But according to some local media reports, the snowfall in 2025 is the biggest in over 30 years in many regions.
Snowfall blanketed parts of Tabuk and Hail, with residents stepping out to ski and enjoy the icy scenes—a moment you don’t see every day in the Kingdom! pic.twitter.com/7hj9iOEZ2A
— Life in Saudi Arabia (@LifeSaudiArabia) December 20, 2025
The previous significant snowfall recorded in Saudi Arabia was in 1992. There was also major snowfall in Saudi Arabia in 1973, which reportedly brought nearly 20 centimetres of snow to Riyadh.
What caused the snowfall
According to Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology, the snowfall in 2025 was triggered by a sharp drop in temperatures, with some locations falling below zero degrees Celsius, combined with rain-bearing thunderclouds.
Authorities issued weather warnings and urged motorists to take caution due to icy and slippery roads.
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Will it snow in UAE?
With Saudi Arabia receving unprecedented snowfall, residents in other Gulf countries are also wondering if they would see something similar.
The United Arab Emirates experienced unprecedented winter rainfall last week, and many residents feel that they could witness snowfall in the coming days.
But according to Dr Ahmed Habib from the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology, it is unlikely.
“Snow can only occur under strict conditions, mainly in high elevation areas and when temperatures in the upper layers of the atmosphere drop significantly,” Dr Habib told The Khaleej Times. “In the UAE, this is uncommon, and what we typically see instead is hail.”
