Riyadh--Ships weighed anchor and schools were closed in parts of Saudi Arabia on Thursday after a vicious sandstorm passed through the desert kingdom.
King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, on the Gulf Coast, suspended the arrival and departure of all vessels from 1730 GMT on Wednesday, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
"Their movement will resume as soon as the weather improves and the wind speed slows down," after reaching 30 knots, the report said.
Skies cleared on Thursday in the centre of the kingdom, where the Saudi capital is located, and workers were cleaning up debris of the storm that blew through on Wednesday night.
Riyadh's normally erratic drivers slowed down as blinding, blowing sand reduced visibility for motorists and tossed garbage across highways.
Shools were closed in the capital and in the Eastern Province, around Dammam, on Thursday.
AFP
