Folk terms regain prominence with the intensification of summer heat, as part of the linguistic memory forged by people in the Arabian Peninsula to precisely describe the desert environment, its seasons, and natural phenomena. Among the most notable is the phrase 'Ashhab al-Lal,' which in popular heritage is associated with the hottest moments of scorching heat, when sands glow and mirages stretch across the horizon—a scene long present in the consciousness of desert dwellers and their literature. This phrase is commonly used in central Arabia, referring to the clear mirage that appears with intense heat over barren ground. 'Al-Lal' means mirage, while 'Ashhab' denotes a color mixing white and black, so the mirage becomes highly visible to the naked eye, embodying a visual image of the desert environment. The phrase was not merely a description of a natural phenomenon but evolved into a literary image adopted by poets, symbolizing the harshness of the desert and extreme heat. The poet Farraj bin Rifa (may God have mercy on him) invoked it in describing his she-camel capable of crossing the desert heat, saying: 'Oh God, I ask You for a red one, the desire of my heart, a red she-camel from the army, her sides shaking, neither the spirit of the army drives her with the ashhab al-lal, nor does she bring water to the wide chest of her rider.' The poet Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdulaziz (may God have mercy on him) also drew on it, saying: 'O you who brings the thin, valuable she-camels to water, when the heat drives them in ashhab al-lal, you are the journey and the path and you are the guide, and you are the safety of the people when fear strikes them.' The presence of 'Ashhab al-Lal' was not limited to poetry and folk heritage but extended to contemporary art. Saudi artist Ahmed Mater has adopted this term for his artwork 'Ashhab al-Lal,' currently being implemented as part of the 'Wadi AlFann' project in AlUla Governorate, drawing on the mirage phenomenon as a central concept exploring the relationship between light, visual perception, and the desert landscape. The work is situated among AlUla's rock formations, featuring an architectural structure carved into the earth that relies on natural light and a precise system of mirrors to simulate the mirage without any energy source. Mater affirmed that AlUla's nature and geological formations were the primary inspiration for this work, due to its exceptional natural landscape aligned with the concept of light, where details of the surrounding environment are reflected within the work, creating a shifting mirage image that changes with the viewer's position and light movement. The artist derived the work's title from Nabati poems that addressed the Arabian desert, where the mirage has always symbolized something that appears close yet remains out of reach, a visual companion to the desert's expanse, thus re-presenting this folk concept in a contemporary artistic form that interacts with the place and draws its presence from AlUla's nature and unique geological formations. The phrase 'Ashhab al-Lal' embodies an aspect of the richness of the linguistic heritage in the Arabian Peninsula and humanity's ability to coin precise terms describing the desert environment and its natural phenomena. It remains present in popular memory, documented in poetry and inspired by contemporary art, bearing witness to the close relationship between the desert, language, and creativity, and serving as a renewed source of inspiration with every summer when the heat and mirage phenomena return to the forefront.