Residents of the Saudi capital, particularly Saudis, have expressed happiness over the arrival of cooler weather a few days back.
“Winter has probably set in. The temperature used to be 46 degrees Celsius early in the afternoon, but is now down to 39,” said Abu Ali, a Saudi who works for a local marketing company.
He added that at night, the weather was cool and invigorating when he and his family visited the malls or parks.
Mohamed Ahmed, a Saudi who works for an electronics company, also expressed satisfaction regarding the weather change.
“Just a few days back, it was still hot during the day and night. But now, it’s cold and refreshing,” he said.
He added that winter in the Kingdom usually starts at about this time of the year, although he had not noticed its coming.
“Normally it starts in late September or early October and lasts until March. But busy as I am its coming had not crossed my mind until I started feeling cold at night,” he said.
He added that the cold weather would intensify before the year ends.
“Saudis who live in the northern part of the Kingdom are luckier. Aside from the cold weather, they will also have some snow, though not like the snow in Europe, China and the United States,” said Mohammed Al-Silhan who works for an online publication.
Another Saudi, a broadcast journalist, said, however, that global warming has also affected the Kingdom.
“There were years in the past when the weather was much colder compared to the present when winter started in the city. Back then, the temperatures could drop to minus 10 degree Celsius,” he said.
Expatriates said that when they first came to the Kingdom three decades back, they were shivering and had to wear hand gloves and put on a thermal gear.
“Moreover, we also slept under thick blankets at night, in addition to the heater,” said a Filipino working in a local publishing firm.
Riyadh’s residents happy over weather change
