The dusty dunes of Saudi Arabia's deserts have miraculously turned from sand into grass, thereby, according to some, confirming the words of a prophecy a thousand years old.
The incredibly heavy rains and floods that «attacked» the desert throughout December ultimately «painted» the desert hills surrounding the holy cities of Mecca and Medina green.
In videos and photographs that have spread across social media, animals can be seen grazing on the grass that has appeared on the flooded lands in the west of the country. The once deathly dry landscapes of Saudi Arabia have turned into blooming green hills that can be seen in NASA satellite images.
Some local residents believe this is a clear sign of the approach of Judgment Day or the end of the world. It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad, in his prophecy spoken 1,400 years ago, foretold that «the Last Hour will not come until ... the land of Arabia turns into meadows and rivers».
Photo: Panoramic/Keystone Press Agency
More rationally minded citizens are wondering just how unique this phenomenon is, since something similar has happened in the kingdom before.
«You cannot say for certain that one heavy downpour in Saudi Arabia in December was caused by climate change. After all, the weather is always unstable, but the likelihood of such extreme phenomena is increasing all over the world», — Leo Meyer, director of ClimateContact, told the Dutch newspaper Postsen.
In Mecca, known as the holy city of Islam, the average summer temperature is 41°C, and average monthly precipitation is only about 2–3 millimeters. However, this December their amount reached record levels, and deadly floods caused chaos throughout the city. Pilgrims visiting the Great Mosque of Mecca had to make their way through heavily flooded areas under pouring rain.
Setting aside the panic over a possible end of the world, the grass is a most welcome gift for the holy cities after months of storms and the hardships caused by flooding.
