More than 300 caves have been discovered in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. These natural formations are a unique gift to the kingdom, formed from limestone and gypsum by rain and floods over millions of years.

Senior Saudi Arabian geologist Mahmoud Al-Shanti notes that the caves are being explored to study their origins and types. The caves are considered a valuable natural national treasure, attracting researchers and geotourism enthusiasts. This is reported by
Arab News.

Caves present diverse ecosystems, home to various species of animals, including predators that live in the dark and hunt at night.

Mahmoud Al-Shanti also spoke about “duhool” and limestone rock caves in the northern border areas, central region and eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

He explained that they are called limestone caves, adding that limestone is a hardened sedimentary rock composed of sedimentary shells, living remains and dead micro- and macro-marine organisms.

All these components have collected and accumulated on top of each other randomly under the waters of lakes and oceans over millions of years, forming hard and cohesive layers of rock as a result of constant pressure and cohesion, resulting in a type of rock called limestone rock.

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