Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Regional Center for Dust and Sandstorms has reported a 53 percent decrease in dust and sandstorm activity in Saudi Arabia between January and July 2025, compared with historical averages for the same period.

Executive Director of the center Jamaan Al-Qahtani said the recorded data showed varying declines across the first seven months of the year.

The drop reached 80 percent in January, 40 percent in February, 75 percent in March, 41 percent in April, 40 percent in May, 59 percent in June, and 41 percent in July.

Al-Qahtani attributed the improvement to integrated national environmental efforts, including the Saudi Green Initiative, cloud seeding programs, vegetation expansion projects, stricter grazing controls, and the role of royal reserves in ecosystem protection.

He also cited positive climatic shifts in air mass patterns that improved air quality and reduced dust sources.

The center emphasized that the results are a qualitative indicator of the effectiveness of national strategies in addressing extreme weather phenomena and promoting environmental sustainability.