IN PICTURES: No snow? No problem! Sandboarding in Saudi Arabia’s Hail

Just like their European counterparts who spend winters skiing in resorts close to the Alps, Saudis and Arabs have found their own version in the middle of the deserts near Hail.

In its tenth annual edition, avid action sports fans are taking to sandboarding on the dunes of the Saudi desert near the Hail- Jubbah highway.

“The entire festival is organized under the aegis of Emir Prince Saud Bin Abdulmohsen. The festival is organized by the Hail governorate, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, the Tourism Development Council, Hail Municipality, Hail University, Hail Culture and Information Directorate and Hail Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” said Deputy Emir of Hail Abdulaziz Bin Saad.

“The desert nature of Hail is turning it into a tourist attraction. The festival highlights the Bedouin lifestyle now and in the past. The festival aims to attract people from all over the Kingdom and neighboring Gulf countries so that tourism contributes to the economic development of the region,” he added.