Saudi Arabia: Sandstorms affect travel across country March 29-30

Event

Sandstorms disrupted road and air transportation across Saudi Arabia on Thursday, March 29. Notably, the sandstorms briefly closed six airports in northern Saudi Arabia; car accidents were also reported in Jeddah amid poor visibility, which also prompted the suspension of maritime traffic at Jeddah's seaport. King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) outside of Jeddah reported that flight operations remained normal on Thursday. According to the Saudi General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, blowing dust is expected to continue to affect parts of Eastern Province and the northern (Jawf, Northern Borders), western (Mecca, Medina, Tabuk), and central (Qasim, Riyadh) regions of Saudi Arabia through the morning hours of Friday, March 30 (local time), and may result in further road and air transportation disruptions.

Advice

Individuals in or planning travel to Saudi Arabia are advised to monitor weather reports, confirm travel reservations, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities. Contact your airline for more information regarding potential flight disruptions.