Western Saudi Arabia gets some of the longest totality of the whole eclipse, about six minutes from Jeddah on the Red Sea to Abha in the Asir mountains, in the early afternoon with the Sun high overhead.
6m 14slongest totality, in Al Lith
Short answer
Yes. The path of totality crosses western Saudi Arabia from the Red Sea coast around Jeddah to the Asir mountains around Abha. Abha gets 6m 08s and Jeddah 6m 03s by our calculation. Totality comes in the early afternoon, between about 13:22 and 13:38 local time, with the Sun high overhead.
Yellow dots are inside the path of totality. White dots are outside it and see only a partial eclipse.
Press play or drag the slider to follow the centre of the Moon’s shadow from one side of the country to the other, with local clock time, the length of totality on the centre line and the speed of the shadow.
6m 03s in Jeddah, 6m 14s in Al Lith
Jeddah is the largest city in the path, with the main international airport on the Red Sea. The coastal plain south of the city has the longest totality in the country, with 6m 14s at Al Lith. Ahead of the eclipse, the Saudi Space Agency has issued eye-safety guidance, and the Jeddah Astronomy Society is expected to hold public viewings.
5m 10s
Mecca lies inside the path, with the Sun about 76° high at totality. The city is open to Muslims only, and the eclipse prayer at the Grand Mosque is expected to draw large crowds. Our page on Mecca has the times and the details of the prayer.
3m 56s in Taif, 5m 15s in Al Baha
Taif, a summer resort in the hills above Mecca, lies near the northern edge of the path, so totality is shorter. Al Baha, further south in the mountains, gets more than five minutes. The highlands are cooler than the coast, but cloud builds over the mountains more often.
6m 08s in Abha
Abha, more than 2,000 metres up in the Asir mountains, is Saudi Arabia’s best-known summer resort and gets one of the longest totalities in the country. The area lies close to the border with Yemen, where the travel warnings are strictest.
Several operators put eclipse trips to Saudi Arabia on sale before the security situation in the region changed in 2026. Some may change their plans, so check directly with each operator whether a tour is still going ahead, and what its insurance and cancellation terms say.
Sort by totality, start time or Sun height. Cities outside the path show the share of the Sun covered instead.
| Al Lith | Total100% | 6m 14s | Totality from 13:26totality begins | Sun 75° |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abha | Total100% | 6m 08s | Totality from 13:34totality begins | Sun 71° |
| Khamis Mushait | Total100% | 6m 04s | Totality from 13:34totality begins | Sun 71° |
| Jeddah | Total100% | 6m 03s | Totality from 13:22totality begins | Sun 76° |
| Al Qunfudhah | Total100% | 6m 03s | Totality from 13:29totality begins | Sun 73° |
| Najran | Total100% | 5m 34s | Totality from 13:38totality begins | Sun 68° |
| Al Baha | Total100% | 5m 15s | Totality from 13:29totality begins | Sun 73° |
| Mecca | Total100% | 5m 10s | Totality from 13:23totality begins | Sun 76° |
| Taif | Total100% | 3m 56s | Totality from 13:25totality begins | Sun 75° |
| Jizan | Total100% | 3m 13s | Totality from 13:38totality begins | Sun 70° |
| Yanbu | Partial98.9% | No totality– | Peak at 13:18peak | Sun 78° |
| Medina | Partial94.4% | No totality– | Peak at 13:20peak | Sun 76° |
| Riyadh | Partial76% | No totality– | Peak at 13:32peak | Sun 67° |
Local clock time on 2 August 2027 when totality begins, or for a partial eclipse, the moment of greatest coverage.
In the analysis of climatologist Jay Anderson, the Tihamah coastal plain along the Red Sea averages just over 10% cloud in August, while the mountains get more cloud building through the day. The coast south of Jeddah has the dustiest skies of the whole eclipse path.
It is very hot. Jeddah averages about 38°C (100°F) in the afternoon, with sticky humidity, and Mecca about 43°C (109°F). Abha, high in the mountains, averages about 31°C (88°F).
Many nationalities can get a tourist e-visa online. Mecca is open to Muslims only.
The Haramain high-speed railway links Jeddah and Mecca in about 35 to 45 minutes. Taif is about 1h 50m by road from Jeddah, and Abha about 1h 15m by air.
A partial eclipse, even at 99%, leaves the sky bright and the corona hidden. Eclipse glasses stay on the whole time.