Dhahran weather in December

In December, Dhahran sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 19 mm of rain across 2.9 wet days and about 10.4 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 30 min at the start of December to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Dhahran's 9th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dhahran's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
10th warmest
Overnight low
14°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
2.9 wet days
Daylight
10 h 24 min
6:25 AM – 4:47 PM
Cloud cover
26%
9th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.6
out of 10

Dhahran is city in Saudi Arabia.

Density
995/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical December day in Dhahran reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12516
22515
32415
42415
52415
62415
72415
82415
92414
102314
112314
122314
132314
142314
152314
162314
172313
182213
192213
202213
212213
222213
232213
242213
252213
262213
272213
282212
292212
302212
312212

How December really feels in Dhahran

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Dhahran weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°193.310.58.0
Feb23° / 13°122.311.18.7
Mar27° / 16°142.111.88.1
Apr33° / 21°5112.64.8
May39° / 26°10.113.31.1
Jun42° / 29°0013.60.0
Jul43° / 31°0013.50.0
Aug43° / 30°0012.90.0
Sep40° / 27°0012.20.3
Oct36° / 23°00.211.43.1
Nov28° / 18°152.110.77.3
Dec23° / 14°192.910.48.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38317
48317
58416
68416
78416
88317
98317
108317
118317
128317
138317
148317
158317
168317
178317
188317
198317
208416
218416
228416
238317
248317
258317
268218
278218
288218
298020
308020
317921

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Dhahran gets around 19 mm of rain over 2.9 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
410
510
610
711
811
911
1011
1111
1211
1311
1411
1511
1610
1710
1810
1910
209
219
229
238
248
258
268
278
288
298
308
318

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 69% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15223187
25422177
35522176
45622166
55622166
65821156
76021145
86021145
96121135
106321124
116421114
126521113
136720103
14692092
15692092
16712081
17712081
18731971
19741961
20751960
21771850
22771850
23771850
24781750
25781750
26791650
27791650
28801550
29801550
30811450
31811450

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 30 min at the start of December to 10 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:15 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 4:43 PM to 4:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.56:154:43
210.56:164:43
310.46:174:44
410.46:174:44
510.46:184:44
610.46:194:44
710.46:194:44
810.46:204:44
910.46:214:44
1010.46:214:45
1110.46:224:45
1210.46:234:45
1310.46:234:46
1410.46:244:46
1510.46:244:46
1610.46:254:47
1710.46:254:47
1810.46:264:47
1910.46:264:48
2010.46:274:48
2110.46:284:49
2210.46:284:49
2310.46:284:50
2410.46:294:50
2510.46:294:51
2610.46:304:51
2710.46:304:52
2810.46:304:52
2910.46:314:53
3010.46:314:53
3110.46:314:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.96 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.96 kWh/m² to a high of 7.69 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.0Bright
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Bright
74.0Bright
84.0Moderate
94.0Moderate
104.0Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.9Moderate
243.9Moderate
253.9Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Dhahran

In seasonPeak

None of Dhahran's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Dhahran sees seasonal dust haze (February–August), heaviest in May.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Dhahran?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Dhahran for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Dhahran in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Dhahran sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Dhahran in December

The nearest coast averages about 22°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 28 km away) is warmest in August at about 34°C and coldest in February near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 14 to Jan 3 — about 9.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar20Refreshing
Apr23Refreshing
May27Warm
Jun30Tropical
Jul32Tropical
Aug34Tropical
Sep33Tropical
Oct30Tropical
Nov26Warm
Dec22Refreshing

UV index in Dhahran in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dhahran peaks around July 17 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highHighModerateJul 17UV 10Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb7High
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Dhahran in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Dhahran is worst in July — around 83 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 37 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorJul 2282 µg/m³Nov 1838 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan50Poor
Feb49Poor
Mar56Unhealthy
Apr66Unhealthy
May67Unhealthy
Jun69Unhealthy
Jul83Unhealthy
Aug80Unhealthy
Sep58Unhealthy
Oct48Poor
Nov37Poor
Dec44Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Dhahran?

Dhahran sits at 26.3°N, 50.1°E, 44 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Khobar, 9.0 km away.

Topography around Dhahran

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Dhahran.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dhahran has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 83 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 139 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 199 m.

The land around Dhahran is covered by bare terrain (57%) and artificial surfaces (38%) within 3 km, bare terrain (52%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and water (44%) within 80 km.

3 km
83 m
16 km
139 m
80 km
199 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Khobar 9.0 km · Thuqbah 10 km · Dammam 16 km · Sayhāt 23 km · ‘Inak 27 km · Tārūt 32 km · Al Qaţīf 33 km · Al ‘Awwāmīyah 36 km

Saudi Arabia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$34,537
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
35.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 404

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Dhahran (26.2886°, 50.114°, elevation 44 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).