Is the air in Abu Dhabi safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Abu Dhabi is 70, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Abu Dhabi?

Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 14:00, at 93.

What is the main pollutant in Abu Dhabi?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Abu Dhabi's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O3 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Abu Dhabi's air?

About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Abu Dhabi improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 71, against 119 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Abu Dhabi air quality

United Arab Emirates · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 21:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 60–93US AQI, highest around Sat 14:00
Best time outside: Sat 04:00–7:00US AQI about 61
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.2×17 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Abu Dhabi. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Abu Dhabi right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	20 µg/m³	Moderate	1.2×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	36 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	8.3 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Ozone O₃	106 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	2.5 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	146 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.22	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	20 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 93 around Sat 14:00, lowest 60 around Sat 06:00.

50100

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Abu Dhabi

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	52–71	Moderate	20:00	14	7 High
Sat 14 Nov	60–93	Moderate	14:00	18	6 High
Sun 15 Nov	66–81	Moderate	23:00	20	5 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	63–93	Moderate	23:00	22	5 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	74–119	Sensitive	8:00	27	5 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Abu Dhabi

Is the air in Abu Dhabi safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Abu Dhabi is 70, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Abu Dhabi?
Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 14:00, at 93.
What is the main pollutant in Abu Dhabi?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Abu Dhabi's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O₃ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Abu Dhabi's air?
About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Abu Dhabi improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 71, against 119 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Air quality near Abu Dhabi

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Doha (69); worst: Riyadh (1555). The tick on each bar is Abu Dhabi, at 70.

Dubai 123 km NE 72 Moderate
Doha 302 km W 69 Moderate
Riyadh 779 km W 1555 Hazardous
Kuwait City 838 km NW 793 Hazardous
Karachi 1,276 km E 88 Moderate
Tehran 1,282 km N 169 Unhealthy

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 24.45°N, 54.38°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.