This is how long summer will last in Saudi Arabia astronomically
Stock up on sunscreen…
While we’ve already been feeling the heat in the Kingdom a lot this summer, yesterday (Saturday June 21) marked the official beginning of summer in Saudi Arabia, astronomically speaking (or writing, of course).
The skies over the Kingdom and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere witnessed the summer solstice, according to Saudi Gazette. What that means is that the upper half of the Earth leaned more towards the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This was confirmed to be witnessed at 5.42pm Makkah time (Arabia Standard Time) in Saudi Arabia.
Weather Forecast for Sunday.https://t.co/trqhvNstMO#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/LxUSXIRghL
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) June 22, 2025
This year, the astronomical summer will last 93 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes (very precise, we know), which falls on Tuesday September 23. Though it was pointed out that it is important to differentiate between astronomical summer and climatic summer. Experts predicted the climatic summer to begin on Sunday June 1, and continue until Sunday August 31.
While in astronomy, summer begins with the summer solstice, i.e when the sun reaches its maximum altitude. Even though this day is the longest day of the year in terms of the number of hours of sunlight, it is not necessarily the hottest. This happens because the oceans, land, and atmosphere take time to absorb the released solar energy, then re-emit it.
This delay in the re-release of the heat, and us feeling it, is known as the “seasonal lag.” Because of this, temperatures usually peak in July or August.
We’re in for a long summer out here in Saudi Arabia, so check out your ultimate guides on what to do indoors in Riyadh and Jeddah to beat the heat.
Saudi Arabia has also announced a ban on working under the sun in all private-sector establishments. The ban begins at noon every day and ends at 3pm, and is expected to be enforced until Monday September 15, 2025.
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