World’s tallest building devoured by sandstorms in the Middle East

The world’s tallest building vanished under a grey cloud of dust on Wednesday as sandstorms raced over the Middle East, triggering weather and transportation concerns.

The 828-meter (2,716-foot-6-inch) Burj Khalifa, which rises over Dubai and is typically visible across the busy financial metropolis, has receded behind an airborne dirt veil that has blanketed much of the country.

The UAE is the most recent country to be hit by sandstorms that have engulfed Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other countries in recent days, closing airports and schools and sending hundreds to hospitals with respiratory issues.

According to waqi.info and the Plume pollution app, Abu Dhabi’s air quality index (AQI) climbed into the “dangerous” zone overnight.

Sandstorms are growing increasingly common and powerful in the Middle East, a development related to overgrazing and deforestation, abuse of river water, and the construction of new dams.

According to experts, the issue may intensify as climate change alters regional weather patterns and accelerates desertification.

Emirati officials issued a statewide alert, asking inhabitants to be cautious.

“Abu Dhabi Police urges drivers to be cautious due to low visibility during high winds and dust,” the police force tweeted, as residents took to social media to publish photos and videos.

“Please do not be distracted by taking any videos or using your phone,” it added.

A National Center for Meteorology graphic showed nearly all the country covered by the storm, with the warning: “Be on the alert: hazardous weather events are expected.”

Winds with speeds up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour are blowing the dust, it said, reducing visibility in some areas to less than 2,000 meters (2,200 yards).

However, a Dubai airport spokesman said there was no impact on air traffic. Weather conditions were expected to remain the same for the next few days.

In neighboring Saudi Arabia, badly hit on Tuesday, conditions eased in the capital Riyadh on Wednesday but continued to restrict visibility in the city center.

Emergency rooms in Riyadh hospitals received some 1,285 people suffering from respiratory problems over 24 hours from the sandstorm, the state-run Al-Ekhbariya channel reported late on Tuesday.

The Saudi national weather center reported that dust was also affecting visibility in the west and south, specifically in Assir, Najran, Hael, and Medina provinces. Medina is home to Medina city, the second holiest city in Islam.

The center predicted another sandstorm would arrive in the kingdom by Sunday.

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