With Saudi Arabia suspending international flights and shutting down entertainment venues at the weekend due to concerns about the Corona virus, Saudi citizens and residents have once again turned to desert areas that are open for recreation, including the breathtaking 'edge of the world'.
The guides say that fleeing to the arid desert on the outskirts of the capital, Riyadh, is very popular.
Those seeking isolation can move away from their homes to the northwest of the capital, a distance of two hours by car to the site of the "edge of the world", where high slopes 300 meters high allow enjoying the views of the vast desert horizon.
Khaled Al-Harbi (from the eastern region) told Reuters that he went to enjoy there because "a lot of places are closed: cinemas are closed, public places, and travel is not worth traveling."
While Sarah (a British woman living in Riyadh) said that the capital is quiet these days “but here is a great place to go, lots of fresh air, you are outside. "There are a lot of people here, but there is a lot of space."
The Kingdom announced that it had monitored 103 cases of coronavirus and that no deaths were recorded. Umrah also suspended and isolated the Qatif region in the east of the country, as a large number of cases were discovered.
The authorities closed gyms and recreation halls and wedding parties and asked citizens to avoid shaking hands and urged the population of about 30 million to limit their movements.
Buses and large cars take families and young people to the desert site to spend a fun day of safari and barbecue on campfire while listening to music. The slopes, whose official name is Jabal Fahrin, overlook the ancient trade caravan routes.
"Now, Corona has become something negative, but the positive is that, God willing, like today, we will see that people are filled with here," said Abdel-Rahman Idris, an expert on the region.