Ahl al-turab

The ahl al-trab or ahl al-turab (Arabic, أهل التراب, the people of the ground) are mischievous spirits who, according to Arab folklore, they inhabit the desert sand, close to the surface and from where they emerge to mortify travelers by drinking the puddles before they can reach them, harassing the camels making them stumble and throwing sand into the eyes of both humans as their mounts.

The ahl al-trab are invisible but can sometimes be seen in the form of a large whirlpool during sandstorms.