Best Time to Visit the Middle East

If you are planning a trip to the Middle East or GCC countries, one major factor is what time of year to go. Why? Well, this part of the world has some of the world’s highest recorded temperatures and after living here for a few years, we can attest, the time of year you visit makes a HUGE difference in your overall satisfaction with the trip. So if you are looking for the best time to visit the Middle East, you’ve come to the right place. 

What’s the difference between the Middle East and GCC you ask? Well luckily I’ve written a whole separate article on the Middle East which you can find here. GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council which is a regional, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. While the GCC is only a small part of the Middle East, it’s the one we are most familiar with as we’ve lived and traveled here the most. 

Summer Months: NOT the Best Time to Visit the Middle East

So the big question is: how hot is hot? Drum roll please…. a world record high temperature was set in Mitribah, Kuwait which saw a high of 129°F (53.9°C) in July of 2016. Can you imagine? That’s so hot. 

While daily temperatures don’t sustain such high temperatures, it’s still hot. In June, July, August, it generally hovers around 46°C / 115°F in Kuwait or 42°C / 108°F in Dubai and Doha, Qatar. The summer months are oppressive here in the desert. Honestly, walking outside feels like an oven. We go for walks late at night and the heat coming off the pavement is almost too much to bear even after the sun goes down. We’ve seen plastic bottles melted in our car while parked in the shade, that’s how hot it is. Think the hottest you’ve been, and then add more heat. While most of these countries have built many indoor activities for people to beat the heat, you usually come to a country to see more than just the indoors. So we wouldn’t recommend coming to visit during June, July or August if you don’t have to. I think it would be really hard to be a tourist during this time. We come from the Midwest of the USA and I equate summer in the GCC to winter back home. You know when it’s so cold with snow on the ground, it’s almost impossible to go outside. It’s like that. So summer months here consist of people staying in the air conditioning, going out only at night when it “cools down” a bit or not at all if they can help it. 

Spring Time

When does the heat start? Well most of the area starts heating up around March, April, May. These months are tolerable to be outside but you’ll definitely need to plan some indoor activities. If you’re outdoors, you’ll start looking for shade during the heat of the day as the direct sun starts getting hotter and hotter. But these are great months to consider. March is the best of all three. Generally by April and May we find ourselves taking many breaks from the sun and seeking air conditioning more and more. 

Something to consider as well is that the culture in most of these countries, besides Dubai, are very conservative which means no shorts or skirts with knees showing and no tank tops showing shoulders. This can make an already hot place, hotter. 

Autumn Months

When does it start to cool down? September and October can still be really hot in the sun. The shade will start to be nice but walking in direct sun will still feel like burning. However there is excitement in the air as it’s not as hot as it just was for the past three months. These are decent months to visit but remember you will be sweating outside and you will need to take breaks to cool off inside and get water. By October, many of the outdoor activities are slowly starting to open again and people are getting ready for the best season in the area.

Winter Time: the Best Time to Visit the Middle East!

Winter (November, December, January, February) is the best time to visit because the weather is perfect! You can walk around without sweating so much. You can enjoy all the outdoor dining that springs up from every restaurant and cafe. It’s like the area comes alive and everyone is outdoors finally enjoying themselves. Honestly, there are times I think it’s a little too cold to be out 5°C / 41°F but the parks are full of people, with a coat on, just enjoying being outside and not in the oppressive heat. 

For tourism, this is peak season. Everything is open, popup markets happen every weekend, flowers are blooming, trees are green, and the place feels alive. It’s the most exciting time to be in the region. Prices may be higher during this time due to the increase in tourism but it’s worth it as it’s finally so much more comfortable to be outside exploring. 

So to answer the question, November through February are ideal times to visit. On either side of this, while it’s still doable, it will be hotter than you expect. Honestly, stay away from visiting in the summer if you can. However, if your only plan is to lay on the beach in the summer, then you can snag some great deals on fancy resorts who discount their prices during summer months as everything else closes and less visitors are around. See more about this in our Dubai article! 

Overall, the GCC countries are a very friendly and welcoming place to visit. But yes the weather plays a major factor in your experience so take these things into consideration when planning your trip. Can’t wait to hear all about your experience!