1.   As they tell it, an object the size of a person shimmering with golden light moved slowly up into the sky from the surrounding arid mountains.

2.   At the foot of an arid mountain, students are taught civil and criminal law, law enforcement techniques, martial arts and respect for human rights.

3.   In the arid mountains, the ancient traditions of a society steeped in violence have persisted.

4.   Today the village, perched on the slopes of the arid Anti-Lebanon mountains, is a thriving industrial centre.

5.   The official Saudi news agency SPA said the mass movement toward Mina, an uninhabited valley circled by arid mountains, was taking place without incident.