Skiing Attracts Saudis to Tabuk

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.