The precise causes of sand and dust storms (SDSs) are not fully known. Cloaked in mystery, SDSs are often perceived across the Gulf region as largely ungovernable natural phenomena. Since damage from SDSs is seen as inevitable, there are few attempts to divert Gulf water inland or build vegetation or walls to protect against winds. Such quietism, however, ignores the fact that anthropogenic dust storms, while three times less frequent than natural ones, have sources that lend themselves to remedy. While quantifying the sources of SDSs is challenging, global dust modeling enables an understanding of the anthropogenic contribution to their occurrence. Regional actors, armed with a better understanding of these causes, are beginning to respond in the face of intensifying SDSs.

Within the Gulf, SDSs often emanate from countries with limited vegetation, where there are fewer barriers to strong winds. SDSs hit vegetation-poor Kuwait more than three months a year. In comparison, SDSs affect Bahrain 5.6% of the year, Qatar 7.1%, and Abu Dhabi 3.9%. Winds in Kuwait carrying sand and dust can also reach 93-109 km per hour, reducing visibility to almost zero.

In Saudi Arabia, SDSs impact almost all parts of the country, including the capital of Riyadh. In the north, these storms combine with strong winds that sweep over Kuwait. Some SDSs are caused by the extremely dry al-Bawareh winds, which are churned up by atmospheric pressure on the eastern basin of the Mediterranean and barrel down on the eastern Arabian Peninsula and the Empty Quarter, as well as Iraq and Kuwait. Major sand storms in Saudi Arabia form from as far afield as Libya. These SDSs halt maritime traffic in Egypt first, then whip toward the Arabian Peninsula, before reaching Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Yemen. Last year in Iran, seven provinces were hit by SDSs. In previous years, at least 14 provinces were affected, choking local residents. In addition, Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province also experiences SDSs as a result of anticyclones over Central Asia.
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