Is the air in Riyadh safe today?

No, conditions are hazardous. Right now the US AQI in Riyadh is 1555, which counts as hazardous. Emergency conditions. Stay indoors and wear an N95 or better if you must go out.

When is the best time to be outside in Riyadh?

Sat 00:00–3:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 179. The worst hour is around Sat 17:00, at 3133.

What is the main pollutant in Riyadh?

Coarse particles (PM10). It drives the index right now, at 1,553 µg/m³. Dust, pollen and road grit. Irritates the airways and spikes during sand storms and construction.

How does Riyadh's air compare with the WHO guideline?

11 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 170 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10, NO2 and SO2 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Riyadh's air?

About 7.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 170 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Riyadh improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 460, against 3133 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Riyadh air quality

Saudi Arabia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 20:00 local time

1555

Hazardous

US AQI, mostly PM₁₀

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Emergency conditions. Stay indoors and wear an N95 or better if you must go out.

Next 24 hours: 154–3133US AQI, highest around Sat 17:00
Best time outside: Sat 00:00–3:00US AQI about 179
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 11×170 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 7.7 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Riyadh right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	178 µg/m³	Very unhealthy	11×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	1,553 µg/m³	Hazardous	33×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	35 µg/m³	Good	1.1×
Ozone O₃	43 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	42 µg/m³	Good	1.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	193 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.49	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	2,427 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 3133 around Sat 17:00, lowest 154 around Sat 01:00.

50100150200300

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

5-day air quality forecast for Riyadh

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 3150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	294–2338	Hazardous	18:00	150	5 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	154–3133	Hazardous	17:00	182	5 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	379–2719	Hazardous	15:00	199	5 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	160–2114	Hazardous	14:00	141	5 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	83–460	Hazardous	15:00	49	6 High

Common questions about the air in Riyadh

Is the air in Riyadh safe today?
No, conditions are hazardous. Right now the US AQI in Riyadh is 1555, which counts as hazardous. Emergency conditions. Stay indoors and wear an N95 or better if you must go out.
When is the best time to be outside in Riyadh?
Sat 00:00–3:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 179. The worst hour is around Sat 17:00, at 3133.
What is the main pollutant in Riyadh?
Coarse particles (PM₁₀). It drives the index right now, at 1,553 µg/m³. Dust, pollen and road grit. Irritates the airways and spikes during sand storms and construction.
How does Riyadh's air compare with the WHO guideline?
11 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 170 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀, NO₂ and SO₂ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Riyadh's air?
About 7.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 170 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Riyadh improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 460, against 3133 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Riyadh

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 22 µg/m³ · Fri 20:00	16 km	75	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 10 µg/m³ · Fri 20:00	16 km	53	Moderate

Air quality near Riyadh

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Baghdad (50); worst: Kuwait City (793). The tick on each bar is Riyadh, at 1555.

Doha 493 km E 69 Moderate
Kuwait City 534 km N 793 Hazardous
Abu Dhabi 779 km E 70 Moderate
Dubai 868 km E 72 Moderate
Baghdad 982 km N 50 Good
Tehran 1,301 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 24.71°N, 46.68°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.