Like everywhere else in the Arabian Gulf, Jeddah has distinct seasons, and gets very hot in summer. It can also be extremely humid, both due to its location on the Red Sea coast and the fact that it is a sprawling, frenetic and sometimes chaotic city, home to nearly four million people.
But like a lot of Middle Eastern cities, it has always been designed to deal with extreme heat; from the old-school use of shade via mashrabiyas and narrow city streets in the Old City – Al Balad – to the vast air-conditioned hotels, malls, and shopping centres of modern Jeddah. You are also never more than a half-hour drive from a beach and a cooling dip in the waters of the Red Sea.
It can be a surprise to those who have never spent much time in the Middle East that winter in Saudi Arabia can actually be pretty cold, but equally that in spring and autumn it’s not that hot, perhaps between 20-35°C during the day and much cooler at night. The only extreme weather is in the summer, July and August, with temperatures routinely in the high 30s.
While the weather is a major consideration when planning a trip to Jeddah, there are other important factors too, namely Ramadan and the Hajj. During the former (between February 28th and March 30th in 2025), many hotels will likely be closed; during the latter, they may well be packed to the rafters as pilgrims opt for cheaper rates than in nearby Mecca (Makkah) and Medina (Madinah). Event season, as with Riyadh, is October through March.
We’ve got everything you need to know to pick the perfect time for your trip to Jeddah.
November to March is the best time for outdoor activities
By far the best time to visit Saudi Arabia if you intend on spending a significant amount of time outside is in winter, when temperatures hover around 20-25°C and nights are cool, even a little cold. Jeddah’s coastal climate means that you might get some rainy days – although there were only two days of rain in 2023 – but it’s all relative. This is the Red Sea coast, the place that invented winter sun, and there will still be plenty of sun-drenched days at the beach.
Sea temperatures are actually pretty steady in the Red Sea all year round, so any season is a good season for water sports and diving in and around Jeddah. In winter, the lowest sea temperature is around 20°C, but even in summer it rarely rises above 30°C – a dip in the sea to cool off is always an option even as the city swelters. This contrasts with the eastern coast of Saudi where the sea temperature in summer is akin to swimming in warm soup.
October to April is the best time for festival fun
April and May are the shoulder months of the Saudi tourist season, a time when the mercury has already started to rise and hotel prices start to fall. For those who don’t mind the heat, they can be great months to visit the Kingdom, especially in 2025. Eid al-Fitr – the end of Ramadan – will fall on March 30th or 31st in 2025. Hotels will be busy over the holiday weekend but Eid is an incredible time to be in any Muslim country and Saudi Arabia is no exception.
April also hosts the Saudi Grand Prix on Jeddah’s Corniche, which marks its second year in 2025. April and October are also key business trade show months, with most events held at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of the city.
June to August is the best time for visitors on a budget
The high summer in Saudi Arabia sees temperatures routinely over 40°C and occasionally pushing 50°C; the highest ever recorded in Jeddah was 52°C. That said, Jeddah’s summer temperatures are, on average, 37 to 38°C – just about bearable.
If all you want to do is explore the city and wander around the souqs and museums, the summer is not the worst time to visit Jeddah. Hotels will offer cheaper rates even if some will be closed as their owners – like many Saudis – decamp to Europe or elsewhere to beat the heat. As for the beach, sea temperatures rise into the 30s during the summer.
This time of year can also be a good opportunity to take a day or multi-day trip from Jeddah, particularly up to Taif or elsewhere in the mountains of the Hijaz.
Ramadan is a challenging time for non-Muslims to visit Saudi Arabia
For Muslim travellers, Ramadan (from February 28th to March 30th in 2025) can be an incredible time to visit Saudi Arabia, and many time their visit with pilgrimages to the Holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Mosques throng with activity and families gather at sunset to stroll along the Corniche and through the narrow streets of Al Balad, and have picnics and barbeques on the beach after the final prayers of the day. For non-Muslims too, Ramadan can be an atmospheric and interesting time to visit the Kingdom, or any Islamic country, especially after dark when the cities, parks and restaurants burst into life.
But because of Jeddah’s proximity to Mecca – and popularity as a cheaper place to stay – hotel prices will be high. Also, the logistics of Ramadan can be a challenge for non-Muslims. Eating or drinking in public during the hours of daylight is forbidden, and while hotels will likely make some sort of provision for non-Muslim guests, all restaurants will be closed.
March 2025 is the best time to experience Eid
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes 11 days earlier each year because it uses the Islamic Hijiri rather than the Gregorian calendar, but in 2025 Eid-al-Fitr will fall at the end of March.
The three-day festival celebrates the end of a month of fasting between the hours of sunrise and sunset and is a time for families and neighbours to reconnect. Children traditionally receive presents, cash and new clothes. Eid is all about food and fireworks.
This is an exciting time to be in any Muslim country, although bear in mind that it is primarily a time for family and while the streets will be buzzing, some hotels and restaurants will be closed.
