Watch: Saudi snow-blanketed mountain turns into tourist draw
Jabal Al Lawz deemed ideal winter holiday spot in Tabuk
Cairo: A mountain rising about 2,580 metres above sea level has become a magnet for visitors in northern Saudi Arabia.
Jabal Al Lawz, Arabic for the Mountain of Almonds, the highest in the Tabuk region, is usually blanketed with snow in winter.
It has earned its name due to its plentiful almond trees, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
On Thursday, the mountain was hit by torrential rain and snow fall, enhancing its captivating beauty.
The spectacle usually attracts visitors and makes it an ideal spot for winter holidaymakers.
Jabal Al Lawz is situated around 200 kilometres from the city of Tabuk near Saudi Arabia’s border with Jordan.
Saudi Arabia seeks to become a global tourist destination as part of an ambitious scheme to overhaul its oil-reliant economy.
The numbers of tourists in the kingdom surged to more than 100 million last year, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said earlier this month.
He added that the kingdom’s tourism sector last year fulfilled a target of 100 million tourists including 77 million local visitors and 27 million tourist arrivals.
He cited a strategy charted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman envisaging 150 million tourists in the country by the year 2030 including 80 million local tourists and 70 foreign million arrivals.
The aim is also to make Saudi Arabia rank among the world’s top 10 tourist attractions.
In recent years, the kingdom has introduced a set of facilities designed to draw more foreign tourists to the country.
They include the issuance of tourist visas on arrival or online for citizens of several nationalities.