TABUK — Red sands and red mountains in the northwestern area of the Tabuk region add natural beauty and geological dimension to Hisma Desert, which has a longstanding history that dates back to 500 million years.

Geological expert Professor Abdulaziz bin Labon attributed these unique rock contents to erosion factors that affected this area over years to make beautiful paintings that are rare in the world.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, he stressed that these formations are rocks of sand and some green and mud, where it includes reservoirs of groundwater. He said the age of these rock formations date back to 542 million years to 488 million years.

Bin Labon said: “Over time these formations contributed to having all these beautiful forms of valleys, mountains, gharameel — straight pillars that are part of the remains of a huge mountain — and madakheel with beautiful shapes that made the desert an open natural museum and tourist attraction.

He also noted that the Hisma Desert has a lot of writings and inscriptions on the tops of its rocks, which highlights the historical heritage of great importance of the region to researchers in history and the development of the Arabic language. — SPA