Moment gigantic 'wall of dust' sand storm engulfs Saudi town sparking travel chaos and evacuations

Emergency protocols have been initiated across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan after a massive dust storm swept in and engulfed an entire town.

A 'wall of dust' surged through the Al Qassim province of central Saudi Arabia on Sunday, blocking out sunlight and towering over residents.

Footage shared on social media shows how the sky turned bright orange as the sand storm swallowed the town and reduced visibility to nearly zero.

Locals claim the storm rolled through with 'zero heads-up' and said it was like something out of an 'apocalypse' film.

Al Qassim was 'so dark, it looked like someone hit the lights', one witness recalled on social media, noting that trees were also 'getting knocked over like dominoes'. 

Another said, in a post today, that roads are still empty and residents remain locked indoors while the dust storm leaves behind a 'trail of disruption' and 'shows no sign of slowing'.

Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Kuwait and Jordan are currently under red alerts as strong winds and heavy rainfall bring threats of thunderstorms, flash floods, hail and other potential hazards to the region for the next few days.

The Saudi Arabia National Centre for Meteorology has urged the public to remain vigilant, limit travel and avoid open areas during the storms - which are expected to continue through midweek.

A 'wall of dust' surged through the Al Qassim province of central Saudi Arabia on Sunday, blocking out sunlight and towering over the town

Footage shared on social media shows how the sky turned bright orange as the sand storm swallowed the town and reduced visibility to nearly zero

Locals claim the storm rolled through with 'zero heads-up' and said it was like something out of an 'apocalypse' film

The sand storm has wrecked havoc on travel plans, with two flights from Egypt bound for Kuwait having to be diverted to Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Gulf News reports.

The Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports were shut down by the Kuwait Ports Authority in an effort to protect workers and infrastructure. Operations are understood to have resumed Monday morning. 

Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from Petra, a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert, on Sunday after flash floods overwhelmed the site. 

Over 1,700 visitors were present when emergency protocols were implemented at the archaeological site, according to the report.

Key landmarks, such as the Al Khazneh, the Siq, and the Monastery, were also cleared out due to rising water levels.

At least two people were killed in the flooding, including a Belgian woman and her son, who had been on an adventure tour of the Wadi al-Nakhil, a popular riverbed area near the Jordanian city of Ma'an.

Two of her children survived, Gulf News reports. Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors.

Incidents involving stranded tourists were also reported in Tafileh and Al Hasa. 

Al Qassim was 'so dark, it looked like someone hit the lights', one witness recalled on social media, noting that trees were also 'getting knocked over like dominoes'

Another said, in a post today, that roads are still empty and residents remain locked indoors while the dust storm leaves behind a 'trail of disruption' and 'shows no sign of slowing'

Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Kuwait and Jordan are currently under red alerts as strong winds and heavy rainfall bring threats of thunderstorms, flash floods, hail and other potential hazards to the region for the next few days. Pictured is the sand storm over the Al Qassim province on Sunday

Red alerts are currently in place across five regions of Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh and the Eastern Province.

Saudi Arabia National Centre for Meteorology has warned of continued dust storms, heavy rainfall, hail, and potential flooding.

Kuwait has also been hit by violent winds and thick clouds of dust. Gusts reaching more than 62mph were recorded in some areas.

The country's acting Director of the Meteorological Department warned that Kuwait is experiencing a 'volatile seasonal transition' in which rapid atmospheric shifts, heavy dust and thunderstorms are likely.

Meteorologist Abdullah Al Misnad, a former professor at Qassim University in Saudi Arabia, warns that fast-moving dust walls - like the one that engulfed Al Qassim on Sunday - can reach heights of up to 2,000 metres and speeds of more than 60mph.

He told the newspaper that these storms can create 'major hazards to both air and land transportation'.