Skiing Attracts Saudis to Tabuk

Snow on Tabuk mountains, northwestern Saudi Arabia
Snow on Tabuk mountains, northwestern Saudi Arabia
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Skiing Attracts Saudis to Tabuk

Snow on Tabuk mountains, northwestern Saudi Arabia
Snow on Tabuk mountains, northwestern Saudi Arabia

For two or three weeks a year, Saudis can enjoy the snowfall on the mountains of Jabal al-Lawz, Jabal al-Thahir, and Jabal Alkan in Tabuk, northwestern Saudi Arabia.

And days ago, the snow fell intermittently on those mountains, which turned the place into a tourist destination for families and tourists, especially as this atmosphere coincides with the activities of "Winter Tantora" in the region, as well as with the mid-year vacation.

Since the day before yesterday, snow has been falling as large numbers of citizens and visitors flocked the area, skiing, setting up tents, preparing warm beverages- such as tea, Arabic coffee-, and enjoying the local food famous in the region.

Wael al-Khaldi, the media official at the Tourism Authority in Tabuk, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the event attracts many local and foreign visitors. “I expect the arrival of many visitors during this period, especially since the snowfall coincides with the school break this year.

Fawaz al-Harbi, a Jeddah resident who went to enjoy the snow, said that he is keen to visit during and see the snowfall every year, especially after having had worked in tourism there, allowing him to become an expert on the region. Because of my expertise, I now send out invitations to colleagues acquaintances and friends from outside Saudi Arabia and organize tours of the area so that they can enjoy the buzzing atmosphere and the breathtaking scenery that the Tabuk mountains have to offer”.

Jabal al-Lawz is 2,600 meters high and it was given this name, which translates to Almond Mountain, because a large number of almond trees grow on the slopes of the mountain. Snow covers Jabal al-Lawz every year as temperatures drop.

The mountain lies 200 kilometers west of the region’s administrative capital Tabuk, a region with beautiful and granite plateaus. There are renowned valleys, which non-locals have great difficulty accessing, rich with fragrant plants used for making perfumes and medicinal treatments.

For those with an interest in archeology, Jabal al-Lawz has a lot to offer as well. Many petroglyphs depicting animals and hunters, similar to those in Jubbah, in the Ha’il region, where one can find inscriptions of ostriches, camels, and hunters on horseback. These petroglyphs are inscribed on large and medium-sized rocks, with some of them found as high 2061 meters.



Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)

Dozens of US ice cream producers are planning to remove artificial colors from their products by 2028, a dairy industry group and government officials said on Monday.

The producers, which together represent more than 90% of ice cream sold in the US, are the latest food companies to take voluntary steps to remove dyes since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April said the US aimed to phase out many synthetic dyes from the country's food supply.

Several major food manufacturers, including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker, Hershey and Nestle USA, have previously announced their plans to phase out synthetic food coloring.

The 40 ice cream companies will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail products, excluding non-dairy products, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

The IDFA announced the plan at an event at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday with Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

"We know that our current health outcomes, especially for our children, are unsustainable and that American agriculture is at the heart of the solution to make America healthy again," Rollins said at the event, referencing a slogan aligned with Kennedy.

Rollins and Kennedy have worked closely together on food sector efforts like encouraging states to ban soda from the nation's largest food aid program.

Kennedy has blamed food dyes for rising rates of ADHD and cancer, an area many scientists say requires more research.

The IDFA said artificial dyes are safe, but that ice cream makers are taking the step in part to avoid disruption to sales from state efforts to phase out dyes from school foods and West Virginia's recent food dye ban.