[PHOTOS] Storm Covers Sweltering And Sandy Landscape Of The Saudi Arabian Desert With Snow

A cross-border city called Neom and the capital city of the Tabuk Region in northwestern Saudi Arabia were covered in a white blanket during the weekend as a cold snap brought snowfall to the country's deserts.

According to a pan-Arab daily newspaper, the Saudis enjoy the snowfall on the mountains of Jabal al-Lawz, Jabal al-Thahir, and Jabal Alkan in Tabuk for two or three weeks a year.

And since last Friday, they have been skiing, setting up tents, preparing warm beverages - such as tea, Arabic coffee - and enjoying the local food famous in the region, reported Asharq Al-Awsat.

"I expect the arrival of many visitors during this period, especially since the snowfall coincides with the school break this year," Wael al-Khaldi, Tabuk Tourism Authority's media official was quoted as saying.

Typically, the region sees the temperature dip to 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit) at this time of year.

"[It's] not crazy for them to get snow, it's just typically dry," AccuWeather's senior meteorologist Eric Leister.

"A powerful storm tracked from southern Europe and the Mediterranean into the Middle East last week, pulling cold air into the region and resulting in the snowfall," Leister said.

According to the AccuWeather's senior meteorologist, the same storm system then tracked farther east, causing deadly flooding and heavy snow with avalanches from Iran into Pakistan and Afghanistan.

ABC News reported that in Pakistan, at least 53 houses were completely destroyed by avalanches and in six provinces of Afghanistan, heavy snow has also led to the death of 39 people.