Riyadh weather in December

In December, Riyadh sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 9 mm of rain across 1.7 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of December to 10 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Riyadh's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Riyadh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
11th warmest
Overnight low
10°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
9 mm
1.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:35 AM – 5:04 PM
Cloud cover
25%
9th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.2 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.6
out of 10

Riyadh is capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia.

Density
2,339/km²
people per km²
Founded
1746

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 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical December day in Riyadh reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12312
22312
32312
42312
52312
62312
72311
82311
92211
102211
112211
122211
132211
142211
152210
162210
172210
182110
192110
202110
212110
222110
232110
24219
25219
26219
27219
28219
29219
30219
31219

How December really feels in Riyadh

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.

Riyadh weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 11210.68.1
Feb23° / 11°51.511.18.9
Mar28° / 15°111.911.87.9
Apr33° / 20°142.712.64.3
May39° / 25°20.613.20.9
Jun42° / 28°0013.50.0
Jul43° / 29°0013.40.0
Aug43° / 29°0012.90.0
Sep40° / 26°0012.20.4
Oct35° / 21°10.211.43.8
Nov27° / 15°112.110.88.0
Dec22° / 10°91.710.58.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28416
38416
48416
58515
68515
78515
88515
98515
108515
118416
128416
138416
148416
158416
168416
178317
188317
198416
208416
218416
228416
238515
248515
258515
268515
278515
288416
298416
308317
318218

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Riyadh gets around 9 mm of rain over 1.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 6% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
28
38
48
57
67
77
87
97
107
117
126
136
146
156
166
176
186
195
205
215
225
234
244
254
264
274
284
294
304
315

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
18983
28983
39073
49073
59073
69163
79262
89352
99352
109352
119541
129541
139541
149631
159631
169631
179730
189820
199820
209820
219820
229820
239820
249820
259820
269820
279820
289820
299820
309820
319820

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of December to 10 h 30 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 6:26 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 5:00 PM to 5:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.66:265:00
210.66:265:00
310.66:275:00
410.56:285:01
510.56:285:01
610.56:295:01
710.56:305:01
810.56:305:01
910.56:315:01
1010.56:315:02
1110.56:325:02
1210.56:335:02
1310.56:335:03
1410.56:345:03
1510.56:345:03
1610.56:355:04
1710.56:365:04
1810.56:365:04
1910.56:375:05
2010.56:375:05
2110.56:385:06
2210.56:385:06
2310.56:395:07
2410.56:395:07
2510.56:395:08
2610.56:405:08
2710.56:405:09
2810.56:415:09
2910.56:415:10
3010.56:415:10
3110.56:425:11

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.2 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.2 kWh/m² to a high of 7.73 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 4.2 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Riyadh

In seasonPeak

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

Riyadh sees seasonal dust haze (February–September), heaviest in May.

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

Is December a good time to visit Riyadh?

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
5.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Riyadh for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Riyadh in December

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

In December, Riyadh sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 10°C. Little to plan around — just the basics.

UV index in Riyadh in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Riyadh peaks around July 20 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 20UV 11Dec 15UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb7Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr7Very high
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Riyadh 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 Riyadh is worst in March — around 93 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.8× the cleanest month (October, 51 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorUnhealthyMar 2192 µg/m³Oct 1352 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan68Unhealthy
Feb75Unhealthy
Mar93Unhealthy
Apr89Unhealthy
May85Unhealthy
Jun71Unhealthy
Jul70Unhealthy
Aug65Unhealthy
Sep54Poor
Oct51Poor
Nov59Unhealthy
Dec63Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Riyadh?

Riyadh sits at 24.7°N, 46.7°E, 612 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is ‘Irqah, 11 km away.

Ḥawṭah Banī TamīmShaqraAd Dawādimī

Topography around Riyadh

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Riyadh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 58 m around an average of 610 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m.

The land around Riyadh is covered by artificial surfaces (86%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (74%) and bare terrain (23%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (93%) within 80 km.

3 km
58 m
16 km
194 m
80 km
688 m
treescroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: ‘Irqah 11 km · Ad Dir‘īyah 20 km · Al Kharj 86 km · Ad Dilam 89 km · Rumāḩ 107 km · Ḥawṭah Banī Tamīm 133 km · Shaqra 160 km · Ad Dawādimī 236 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 Riyadh (24.6877°, 46.7219°, elevation 612 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. 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).