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Air quality · Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Air Quality Index (AQI) today

Modelled estimate for 15:00 local time (UTC+3), refreshed 3 Nov, 07:52 UTC+0.

482 Hazardous

Live estimate · modelled

US EPA AQI15:00 UTC+3, 3 Nov Main pollutant: PM10

Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.

This page uses EPA’s NowCast, which follows the last few hours, as the US government’s AirNow does. On a 24-hour average of particles, as many apps show, it is 500.

Over the next 24 hours the model expects the AQI to range from 165 around 22:00 to 500 around 01:00 (4 Nov).

1st most polluted of 849 cities worldwide right now, 1st of 9 in Saudi Arabia.

What to do today

  • Long walk or run outside Avoid
  • Kids playing outside Keep indoors
  • Airing the house Keep closed
  • Mask outdoors N95 outdoors

Based on the US EPA’s health statement: “Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.” General guidance, not medical advice.

Last 24 hours and next 48

Past hours Forecast

16:00 · 500 17:00 · 500 18:00 · 500 19:00 · 500 20:00 · 500 21:00 · 500 22:00 · 500 23:00 · 500 00:00 · 500 01:00 · 500 02:00 · 500 03:00 · 500 04:00 · 500 05:00 · 500 06:00 · 500 07:00 · 500 08:00 · 323 09:00 · 230 10:00 · 369 11:00 · 500 12:00 · 500 13:00 · 500 14:00 · 500 15:00 · 482 16:00 · 414 17:00 · 303 18:00 · 237 19:00 · 193 20:00 · 179 21:00 · 169 22:00 · 165 23:00 · 199 00:00 · 473 01:00 · 500 02:00 · 500 03:00 · 500 04:00 · 500 05:00 · 500 06:00 · 500 07:00 · 500 08:00 · 500 09:00 · 500 10:00 · 500 11:00 · 500 12:00 · 500 13:00 · 500 14:00 · 500 15:00 · 500 16:00 · 500 17:00 · 500 18:00 · 500 19:00 · 500 20:00 · 500 21:00 · 500 22:00 · 500 23:00 · 500 00:00 · 500 01:00 · 500 02:00 · 500 03:00 · 500 04:00 · 480 05:00 · 308 06:00 · 200 07:00 · 310 08:00 · 500 09:00 · 500 10:00 · 500 Now

US EPA AQI per hour, UTC+3. Particles use EPA’s NowCast (a 12-hour weighted average), ozone and CO an 8-hour average. Lighter bars are the CAMS forecast.

Show as a table
TimeAQI
Mon 16:00500
Mon 17:00500
Mon 18:00500
Mon 19:00500
Mon 20:00500
Mon 21:00500
Mon 22:00500
Mon 23:00500
Tue 00:00500
Tue 01:00500
Tue 02:00500
Tue 03:00500
Tue 04:00500
Tue 05:00500
Tue 06:00500
Tue 07:00500
Tue 08:00323
Tue 09:00230
Tue 10:00369
Tue 11:00500
Tue 12:00500
Tue 13:00500
Tue 14:00500
Tue 15:00 · Now482
Tue 16:00 · Forecast414
Tue 17:00 · Forecast303
Tue 18:00 · Forecast237
Tue 19:00 · Forecast193
Tue 20:00 · Forecast179
Tue 21:00 · Forecast169
Tue 22:00 · Forecast165
Tue 23:00 · Forecast199
Wed 00:00 · Forecast473
Wed 01:00 · Forecast500
Wed 02:00 · Forecast500
Wed 03:00 · Forecast500
Wed 04:00 · Forecast500
Wed 05:00 · Forecast500
Wed 06:00 · Forecast500
Wed 07:00 · Forecast500
Wed 08:00 · Forecast500
Wed 09:00 · Forecast500
Wed 10:00 · Forecast500
Wed 11:00 · Forecast500
Wed 12:00 · Forecast500
Wed 13:00 · Forecast500
Wed 14:00 · Forecast500
Wed 15:00 · Forecast500
Wed 16:00 · Forecast500
Wed 17:00 · Forecast500
Wed 18:00 · Forecast500
Wed 19:00 · Forecast500
Wed 20:00 · Forecast500
Wed 21:00 · Forecast500
Wed 22:00 · Forecast500
Wed 23:00 · Forecast500
Thu 00:00 · Forecast500
Thu 01:00 · Forecast500
Thu 02:00 · Forecast500
Thu 03:00 · Forecast500
Thu 04:00 · Forecast480
Thu 05:00 · Forecast308
Thu 06:00 · Forecast200
Thu 07:00 · Forecast310
Thu 08:00 · Forecast500
Thu 09:00 · Forecast500
Thu 10:00 · Forecast500

Pollutants this hour

  • PM2.5 77.5 µg/m³ 24-hour mean 151.4 µg/m³ · 10.1× WHO’s 24-hour guideline (15) 170
  • PM10 522 µg/m³ 483
  • O₃ 85 µg/m³ 30
  • NO₂ 32 µg/m³ 16
  • SO₂ 51 µg/m³ 27
  • CO 0.23 mg/m³ 2

Modelled concentrations at the city’s location (CAMS). The sub-index uses the same averaging as the headline, so the highest one is the AQI.

Nearby cities

City AQI
Buraydah Al-Qassim Region 99
Dammam Eastern Province 129
Al Muharraq Bahrain 123
Doha Qatar 115
Al Ahmadi Kuwait 141
Kuwait City Kuwait 141
Ha'il Ha'il Region 109

Where this number comes from

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) forecasts air pollution worldwide on a grid (about 11 km over Europe, about 45 km elsewhere). We take the grid value at Riyadh’s coordinates and score it with the US EPA’s method. It is a model, not a measurement: a nearby monitoring station can read quite differently, especially next to busy roads or during fires and dust storms.

Full methodology · Data: CAMS via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0); city list: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

  • Good 0–50
  • Moderate 51–100
  • Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101–150
  • Unhealthy 151–200
  • Very unhealthy 201–300
  • Hazardous 301–500

Questions

What is the AQI in Riyadh right now?
482 on the US EPA scale (Hazardous) at 15:00 UTC+3, 3 Nov. PM10 is the pollutant with the highest sub-index. This is a modelled estimate from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), not a reading from a monitoring station.

Is it safe to exercise outside in Riyadh today?
Consider shortening outdoor exercise; sensitive groups should move it indoors. The EPA’s statement for “Hazardous”: Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected. General guidance, not medical advice.

Will the air in Riyadh get better or worse tomorrow?
Over the next 24 hours the model expects the AQI to range from 165 around 22:00 to 500 around 01:00 (4 Nov). Forecasts beyond a day are less certain.

How does Riyadh compare with other cities?
Right now it is the 1st most polluted of 849 cities we track worldwide, and 1st of 9 in Saudi Arabia, all on the same US EPA scale.

Why does another app show a different AQI for Riyadh?
Apps differ in source (government stations, low-cost sensors or a model like this one), in scale (US EPA, European, or a national index) and in averaging (hourly or NowCast, 8-hour, 24-hour). This page uses the US EPA AQI with EPA’s NowCast for particles, computed from the CAMS forecast for the city’s location.