RIYADH/DAMMAM: Heavy sandstorms across the central and eastern regions caused major traffic jams in Riyadh and flight delays in Dammam yesterday.
The capital city was enveloped in a blanket of darkness. “I could not see beyond one vehicle; the visibility was only several meters,” said Nasser Ahmed, a communication officer at a private firm, adding that motorists were driving slowly with their hazard lights on.
“I was snarled up in traffic for nearly an hour on the highway. The cars were not moving at all,” said Abdullah, who arrived at work an hour late. “It was very dark and vehicles were crawling.”
Most schools in the capital are holding their first-term tests. Children who did not arrive on time were allowed to begin their papers late and given full time to complete them.
Air traffic was reported normal in Riyadh as the airport area was unaffected by the sandstorm. An official, however, said that some foreign airline flights were delayed due to other reasons.
Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Al-Moqbel told Arab News there were no accidents due to the sandstorm. “This is because of the awareness programs carried out by the Traffic Department from time to time,” Al-Moqbel said.
He added: “It was a happy day for the Traffic Department since there were no incidents reported due to the weather condition.”
However, Saifudeen Thassim, a senior banker, said that a Saudi driver collided with his car at an intersection.
“Because of the visibility problem, both parties were at fault and we agreed to part with an agreement to repair our own cars,” he said, adding that the damage to the other car was heavy and that police were not informed.
Thassim said that he may have to spend around SR1,000 for repairing his car.
Menon, who works near the airport, said some motorists were driving at crazy speeds on the Airport Ring Road. “Even if they are not worried about themselves, they should respect other road users,” he said.
Meanwhile, the sandstorm caused the cancellation of seven domestic and international flights and delayed the arrival of five flights at Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport.
Khaled Al-Mizaal, the airport’s director, said the airport received on Monday night 16 flights that could not land in Manama or Doha because of mist there. He said all passengers were in good health and were being cared for.
Al-Mizaal added that a flight coming from India on Tuesday night was redirected to Bahrain because of the storm.
Naeem Al-Naeem, director of the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, said sea traffic was halted for two hours during which ships were not allowed to dock or sail.
He, however, added that the situation became normal later.
The Directorate General of Health also reported a rise in the number of people seeking treatment for breathing problems and advised asthma patients to wear masks.
The coast guard warned swimmers and fishing boats not to go out to sea until the weather becomes calm.
In another development, the coast guard at Ras Tanura and the Aramco industrial security patrols on Tuesday night saved seven people on a Saudi boat.
An official from the Meteorological Department told Arab News that the sandstorms were due to high pressure in the northern and central parts of the Kingdom. Temperatures are expected to drop in those regions, he said, adding that the wind was blowing north westerly at six knots.
