Riyadh - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Extremely hot and dry. - Jul 2021
Very hot and dry in the summer (May-September), but it’s surprisingly nice in the winter (November-March). There’s almost no rain, but hopefully you’ll get some in the winter if you’re lucky. Riyadh is one of the hottest capitals in the world, but getting a break in the winter makes a huge difference. The low humidity can be a challenge. - Feb 2018
It's incredibly hot in the summer, with temperatures going up to 120F, but oddly enough, tolerable, even in a black abaya when out in public, partially due to the almost total lack of humidity in the air. For six months of the year, the weather is delightful, sort of autumn-like, and it even gets cold at night since Riyadh is situated in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Our first year there, we had a huge amount of rain in fall, which caused much flooding in embassy-leased housing since there is often no adequate drainage in homes and gardens (or on the roads, for that matter). One problem with the climate was that we couldn't get any cold (or even cool) water during the hot months. The embassy finally tried to fix the situation with our water tank, which was unprotected and unshaded on our roof, with some but not total success. This was a problem for four leased houses, but not for the rest of the community.
An aside about the heat: We went to Iceland one August on holiday, which was brutally cold, even then. When we returned to Riyadh, it was a relief to step off the plane into the 110 degree F weather ;-). - Oct 2017
5 very pleasant months in the winter, June to October are as hot as Hades but thankfully both the Embassy and Embassy housing are very well air-conditioned. - May 2016
Hot and dry in the summer. Temps exceeding 110+F regularly. Humidity in the low teens to single digits in summer. Better in the winter after the rain. - Nov 2015
Very hot and dry from May to November ( 40-50 C), nice , cooler weather during the remaining months. - Oct 2015
Winter is great - cooler weather, clear skies. Summers are unbearable and Saudis usually leave for the entire summer because it is so hot. Very dry heat, no humidity at all. Normally around 115F in the summer. - Oct 2015
Dry heat for six months of the year but easily manageble due to good a/c everywhere. Winters starting in October are cool and very pleasant, similar to early fall in the Northeast U.S. - Jan 2015
Desert. Always dry except for a few rainstorms in winter. - Sep 2014
When we arrived in October, it was pretty hot (100 degrees F), but nowhere near what it gets in summer (120 degrees F and up). It wasn't unpleasant, except for the fact that we had no cool water available to us because of the situation of our water tanks, which the embassy is unwilling to remedy. Since November, the weather has been delightful, cool much of the time, and even cold at night. We also had a lot of rain, which unfortunately caused much flooding in housing leased by the embassy. In summer, I understand that most everybody stays inside, and with good reason in those extreme temperatures. - Mar 2014
Dry, dry, dusty, sandy, dry. When the rainy season does hit, it can be very quick, very excessive, causing flooding in parts of the city. - Dec 2013
Very hot in the summer and pleasant in the winter. - Oct 2013
Incredibly hot in summer; surprisingly cold in winter. From April to September it is mostly too hot to do anything outside during daylight hours. - Mar 2013
I was surprised how cold it gets in the winter-you will need a winter coat - Apr 2011
The climate from about October to May (8 months per year) is surprisingly nice. Clear blue skies are a very common sight, temperatures are usually in the 80's, which feels more like 70's due to the dry air. During the summer months, it is very hot outside. Although it is hot, the air is dry, so it is much easier to tolerate for some than a hot and humid climate. Essentially, all year the air is dry, that doesn't change much. - Jul 2010
Summer is very hot and dry. Winter can be chilly at night, but very nice during the day. - Mar 2010
Hot, very hot - Jan 2010
Hot. Dusty. Dry. Nine months of hell, then two months of moderate temperatures (only 100 F during the day, but it's a DRY heat!) and one month of actual cool weather. - Dec 2009
Hot and cooler in the winter months--gets pretty cold. - Oct 2008
Sunny, hot, windy. - Aug 2008
