Video, Pictures: Sandstorm In UAE, Saudi Arabia

A major sandstorm across the UAE and parts of the GCC has led to low visibility and caused disruption in air and road traffic across the country.

The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has warned motorists to be cautious on the roads due to poor visibility.

In a statement released this morning, the NCMS said that “brisk and strong winds are aggravating the effect of sand and dust, causing a near complete lack of vision in daylight.”

Visibility is below 500 metres in different areas of the Western Region and Abu Dhabi, it said and urged motorists to drive carefully.

The Dubai Airports authority also confirmed that air traffic had been disrupted at both of the emirate’s airports.

“Normal operations have been disrupted at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International due to bad weather across the GCC,” Dubai Airports said on its website.

Meanwhile the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation also announced the temporary suspension of international and domestic flights bound to and from the Kingdom’s airports located in the southern region.

“According to followed procedures, domestic and international flights at both King Abdullah Airports of Jazan, Abha, Wadi Aldwasir, Bisha, Sharourah and Najran, have been suspended temporarily starting from Thursday morning until further notice,” the official Saudi Press Agency, SPA, quoted the authority as saying.

Social media sites have been flooded with images of the sandstorm, including this video from Saudi Arabia, which shows menacing storm clouds engulfing the roads.