Saudi Arabia’s climate differs throughout the year. Being consisted of deserts, some parts with oases and almost half with uninhabitable desert, the region has a dry climate in summers in most areas and particularly high temperatures in the central and northern areas. The temperature in summer rises up to 130o F (around 50o C) during the day dropping to 30 to 40o F at night. The average weather in summer during months of July is around 81-109oF (27-45 o C) in cities of Riyadh. In Jeddah the average temperature ranges from 80oto 100o F (27-38 o C). Likewise, climate in Madinah is generally hot with temperature ranges between 30-40o C during summer and between 8-22oC during winter. The months of June, July and August represent the highest temperature of the year however, from October to January the average minimum temperature is 10o C.

In the southern region, however, the temperature is normally moderate dropping to as low as 50o F in summers in Asir. Temperatures along the coasts of Persian Gulf and Red sea are not so comfortable particularlyPersian Gulf which is known for its frequent heavy fogs. In winter, temperature generally drops down turning to cold at night. However, along western mountains and northern borders, it sometimes drops to below freezing.

Because of variations in the climate patterns, rain is hard to come by also. The average annual rainfall of the country is 4 inches (10 centimeters). Often an entire year’s rain comes in one or two downpours between October and March. The Asir region receives the most rain ranging from 12-20 inches. However, there are some areas like Rub-Al Khali which receive very little or no rain for many years.  Rainfall in Saudi Arabia is therefore uneven and unreliable.

Required clothing includes lightweights to wear in summer and warm ones during winter. For those who will be going for Hajj and Umrah are advised to keep these weather conditions in mind in order to avoid any discrepancies during their journey.