Saudi Arabia in Summer: What to Do & Where to Go

Key Takeaways

• Summer (June-September) is hot in the lowlands — Riyadh is often 43-47°C — but the Asir highlands around Abha stay a mild 20-28°C.
• Abha, Soudah, and Taif sit above 1,800m and are the country's main summer escape, often 10-15°C cooler than the desert.
• The Red Sea at Jeddah stays warm (around 30°C) for diving and snorkelling, though coastal humidity is high.
• Hotel rates in the big cities are frequently lower in summer, making it a good-value season for city trips.
• Plan outdoor sightseeing before 9am or after 6pm, carry water, and use the air-conditioned malls, museums, and aquariums in the middle of the day.
• Makkah is closed to non-Muslims year-round; non-Muslim visitors to the southwest base themselves in Jeddah or Taif.

Saudi Arabia in Summer: Where to Go and What to Do

Summer in Saudi Arabia runs from June to September, and it splits the country in two. The desert interior and the coasts are genuinely hot, but the southwestern mountains stay mild and green. Plan around that contrast and a summer trip works well, often at lower prices than the busy winter season. This guide covers where to find cooler air, what to do when the midday sun is fierce, and how to stay comfortable. For month-by-month detail across the year, see the best time to visit Saudi Arabia.

What summer actually feels like

Temperature varies sharply by region and altitude:

• Riyadh and the interior: dry heat, with daytime highs usually 43-47°C and occasionally close to 50°C. Nights stay warm.
• Jeddah and the Red Sea coast: lower air temperatures, around 35-40°C, but high humidity that makes it feel heavier.
• The Asir highlands (Abha, Taif, Khamis Mushait): a mild 20-28°C by day, sometimes cooler, thanks to elevations above 1,800m.
• The open desert and Empty Quarter: extreme daytime heat, best left to organised tours with the right vehicles and plenty of water.

The takeaway is that the country is not one climate in summer. Choose your base by altitude and you change the whole trip.

Escape to the highlands: Abha, Soudah and Taif

The southwest is the reason many Saudis travel at home in summer. Abha, capital of Asir province, sits at about 2,270m and stays comfortable while the lowlands bake. The nearby Soudah area is the highest ground in the country, close to 3,000m, with cable-car views over terraced green mountains that drop away into cloud. A seasonal southwest airflow brings mist and light rain in summer, so pack a light layer. Taif, reached by a switchback road up from the Red Sea plain, has long been the country's informal summer capital; at around 1,880m it is known for its rose farms and cool evenings. Khamis Mushait, next to Abha, adds more hotels and services. These highlands are the one part of Saudi Arabia where you may actually want a jacket in July.

Getting to the highlands

Abha has its own airport, with short domestic flights from Riyadh and Jeddah taking roughly an hour and return fares often around SAR 200-450 if booked ahead. Taif is easiest as a drive or day trip up from Jeddah, about 90 minutes to two hours by road, and also has an airport. Because these are the peak domestic destinations in July and August, book flights and hotels early.

Summer festivals in the southwest

The cooler months of the highland calendar are also its liveliest. Asir and Abha run summer programmes through July and August, with open-air markets, food stalls, and cultural shows aimed at the domestic holiday crowd, and Taif has a seasonal programme of its own. Exact dates shift year to year, so check locally when you arrive rather than planning the whole trip around a single event.

The Red Sea coast

The coast is humid, but the water is the payoff. At Jeddah, the Red Sea stays around 30°C in summer, and the reefs north of the city at Obhur are good for diving and snorkelling early in the day, before the heat builds. Dive centres run trips and courses, boat excursions reach quieter stretches of coast, and resort day-passes buy you shade and a pool alongside the sea. Evenings on the Corniche, once the sun is down, are when the city comes out to walk and eat.

Indoor escapes for the middle of the day

Saudi cities are built for the heat, and the air-conditioned indoors is a genuine part of the experience rather than a fallback. Large malls double as social spaces with dining, cinemas, and entertainment. Museums and aquariums, in Riyadh and Jeddah especially, are cool, quiet, and worth a couple of hours from late morning to mid-afternoon. Indoor theme parks and entertainment complexes have expanded quickly under the country's tourism push. Booking timed tickets online saves queuing in the sun.

When to be outside

The rhythm of a summer day is simple: be out early or late, and rest in the middle. Aim to do outdoor sightseeing before 9am or after 6pm. Carry a refillable water bottle and drink more than you think you need, because the dry interior dehydrates you without obvious sweating. Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are essentials, not extras. In the highlands the rules relax, because daytime there is genuinely pleasant.

What to pack

Bring lightweight, loose, modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, in breathable fabrics. Add a light jacket or shawl for two situations: strongly air-conditioned malls, and cooler highland evenings. Modest dress remains expected in public, though the abaya is not required for foreign women. See what to wear in Saudi Arabia for a full list.

Things to do in the Asir highlands

Beyond simply being cooler, the Asir mountains reward a few days of exploring. Around Abha you can ride the cable cars down toward the valleys, walk the old stone paths, and visit heritage villages built for mountain life. Rijal Almaa, a short drive from Abha, is a striking village of tall stone-and-mud houses, now a museum and one of the region's best-known sights. Al-Habala, once reached only by rope down the cliff face, sits on a dramatic ledge and is a popular cable-car trip. Jabal Soudah, the high ground above Abha, gives long views when the cloud lifts and cooler air even at the height of summer. Local markets sell the honey the region is known for, alongside produce grown on the terraced slopes.

Riyadh and the interior in summer

The capital does not empty out in summer; it shifts to a night rhythm. Days are for indoor plans — Riyadh's museums, galleries, and large malls — while the city comes alive after dark, when families head out to eat and walk in the cooler evening air. The mud-brick old town at Diriyah is far more pleasant in the late afternoon and evening. Build the day around this and the interior is perfectly doable, even in July.

A simple summer day plan

A workable rhythm looks like this: an early start for the one outdoor thing you most want to do, back indoors by late morning as the heat peaks, a long lunch and rest through the afternoon, then out again from early evening for sightseeing, shopping, and dinner. It mirrors how locals live through the summer, and it turns the heat from an obstacle into a timetable.

A note on Hajj timing

The Hajj pilgrimage follows the Islamic lunar calendar and through the mid-2020s falls in late spring and early summer. During that period the area around Makkah is reserved for pilgrims and extremely busy. This does not change most tourist plans, since Makkah is closed to non-Muslims in any case, but it is worth knowing if you are travelling in the wider Makkah region around June or booking accommodation on the nearby Red Sea coast.

Costs, timing and a note on Makkah

Summer is shoulder season in the big cities, so hotel rates in Riyadh and Jeddah are frequently lower than in the cooler months — good value if you plan around the heat. The highland resorts around Abha are the exception; they fill with domestic visitors in July and August, so book ahead. The riyal is fixed near SAR 3.75 to the US dollar, keeping prices predictable. One rule holds in every season: Makkah is closed to non-Muslims, and the central mosque area of Madinah is restricted to Muslims. Non-Muslim travellers heading to the southwest usually base themselves in Jeddah or Taif. For the wider planning picture, the Saudi Arabia travel guide pulls the practicalities together.

Approached with a little planning, summer is an underrated time to see Saudi Arabia: the mountains are at their greenest, the coast is warm, the cities are quieter and cheaper, and the long evenings are made for being outdoors once the heat lifts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too hot to visit Saudi Arabia in summer?

The desert interior and the coast are very hot in summer — Riyadh is often 43-47°C and can approach 50°C — but the Asir highlands around Abha and Taif stay a comfortable 20-28°C. With early-morning sightseeing, air-conditioned attractions, and a highland base, summer travel is realistic.

Where is coolest in Saudi Arabia in summer?

The southwestern highlands. Abha, Soudah (the highest ground in the country at around 3,000m), Taif, and Khamis Mushait run 10-15°C cooler than the lowlands, with green terraced mountains and, at times, light summer mist and rain.

What is there to do in the heat of the day?

Indoor attractions are the answer: large air-conditioned malls, museums, aquariums, and entertainment centres in Riyadh and Jeddah. The Red Sea coast is also good for early-morning diving and snorkelling in warm water before the heat builds.

Is summer a cheaper time to visit?

Often, yes. Outside the popular highland resorts, hotel rates in cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah are frequently lower in summer than in the peak cooler months, so it can be a good-value season if you plan around the heat.

What should I pack for a Saudi summer?

Lightweight, loose, modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, plus a hat, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle. Bring a light layer for strongly air-conditioned indoor spaces and cooler highland evenings.