The airport of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh halted all flights on Tuesday because of a heavy sandstorm, a civil aviation spokesman said.

"Outbound flights from Riyadh are suspended until visibility improves," the spokesman said. Incoming flights were diverted to other airports in the kingdom.

The sandstorm wrapped the city of more than four million people in a thick orange layer of dust, drastically reduced visibility and disturbed road traffic.

Meanwhile, Kuwait resumed oil exports after a brief halt due to a sandstorm and poor weather conditions. - Reuters