Mecca mountains turn lush green following heavy rainfall in Saudi Arabia

Mountains in Saudi Arabia's Mecca region have turned a lush green colour following heavy rainfalls that fell on the Gulf kingdom in recent weeks.

In videos shared on social media, the mountainous region surrounding the holy city can be seen covered in greenery and plants, a far cry from its usual dry and arid nature.

The unusual sight of the mountains drew the attention of the Mecca region's official Twitter account, which subsequently posted the videos of the city’s new greenery, garnering thousands of views on social media.

#فيديو🎥
جبال #مكة تكتسي الخَضار بعد الأمطار التي شهدتها مؤخراً
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تصوير: عبدالإله السلمي pic.twitter.com/finS66zJXb

— إمارة منطقة مكة المكرمة (@makkahregion) January 7, 2023

Saudis responded with their own pictures and videos of the impressive greenery, which had stretched to other regions, including the Laith, Taif and Jeddah governorates.

Many expressed their awe and their wish for the new nature to be preserved, with one Twitter user saying: "Praise be to God and thanks to God alone, we ask the Almighty to perpetuate [the greenery] as a blessing for us and protect it from disappearance".

Another user, Ahmad Al-Assaf, said: "A valley without cultivation, and thanks to the Lord of the earth and the sky, the surrounding mountains became green and joyful, Praise to be our Lord."

The region's residents, accompanied by their families, spread out in parks and wild camps around the region, including Al-Maghmas Park, Ain Shams, Al-Barza, Al-Bayda, Tafil, and Hoda Al-Sham, to "enjoy the wonderful atmosphere and practice various activities, including holding barbecues and outdoors until the early morning hours", according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The Gulf kingdom experienced heavy rainfall and flooding in western and central parts of the country in recent weeks, prompting cities to be plunged under water.

Torrential rainfall even led to the postponement of Cristiano Ronaldo’s anticipated debut at Al-Nassr FC earlier this week, due to electrical faults at the stadium.