Sandstorm Hits Riyadh, Cutting Road Visibility

A major sandstorm and strong surface winds swept across Riyadh Region on Friday, 21 August 2026, bringing heavy dust and near-zero horizontal visibility over parts of the capital and surrounding governorates.

The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) had issued early warnings ahead of the event, classifying it as raised and blowing dust accompanied by active winds and low horizontal visibility. Alerts were updated across 20 and 21 August, with forecasts specifying strong winds and dusty conditions from roughly 09:00 to 19:00 over Riyadh and nearby governorates, and cautioning drivers about a significant drop in visibility on roads.

NCM's early warning system sorts dust and sandstorm alerts into yellow, orange, and red levels. For Riyadh through 2026, most alerts for raised dust and dust-stirring winds were issued at the yellow or orange level, signalling moderate to severe impact on visibility and road safety.

Not an isolated event

Riyadh Region has seen repeated dusty spells this year. Back in February 2026, NCM issued yellow and orange dust-storm alerts covering areas including Al-Aflaj, Al-Sulayyil, Wadi Ad Dawasir, Al-Zulfi, Shaqra and Durma, with visibility expected to fall to between 1 and 5 kilometres and dip to near-zero at times. Additional forecasts in July and August 2026 pointed to dust-raising surface winds affecting Riyadh and other regions, with active daytime winds cutting visibility and, in some spots, pushing conditions close to zero.

Residents are reminded that NCM weather alerts reach the public free of charge through official meteorological and civil-protection channels — as of 2026, no government fees in Saudi Riyal are charged for sandstorm-related public alerts. During dusty conditions, staying informed and driving with extra caution can make a real difference to safety on the road.

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