DAMMAM: Two men reported missing in the Rub Al-Khali desert have been found safe and well by Saudi Border Guards.

Patrol teams and medics in Al-Batha sector of the Kingdom’s Eastern Province launched a search and rescue operation in the desert, also known as the Empty Quarter, after being alerted by a member of the public.

The citizen who raised the alarm told officers that he had lost contact with his father and uncle on Sunday after their vehicle got stuck in a sand dune.

A spokesman for the Border Guard Command in the region, said the missing men had been reported as being elderly and with health issues. Three patrol teams and an ambulance crew combed the area where the men had last been seen and tracked both of them down on Monday.

“One of them was found near the vehicle, while the other man was some 12 kilometers from the first location,” the spokesman added.

Both men were taken to a nearby health facility for checks and were later described by the official as being in good health.

However, he warned hikers, tourists and adventurers planning to head into the desert to stick to safety rules and regulations and avoid taking unnecessary risks. The Border Guard helpline is 994.