United Arab Emirates · Middle East

Longest and shortest day in Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the longest day of 2026 is around the June solstice on Sunday, 21 June 2026, with 13h 39m of daylight, and the shortest is around the December solstice on Monday, 21 December 2026, with 10h 37m.

Abu Dhabi sunrise, sunset and day length on the 2026 solstices and equinoxes, in local time
Turning pointDateSunriseSunsetDay length
March equinoxFriday, 20 March 202606:2618:3312h 7m
June solsticeSunday, 21 June 202605:3419:1313h 39m
September equinoxTuesday, 22 September 202606:1118:1912h 8m
December solsticeMonday, 21 December 202607:0117:3910h 37m
Abu Dhabi day length month by month (around the 15th)
MonthSunriseSunsetDay length
January07:0817:5510h 47m
February06:5618:1611h 20m
March06:3218:3111h 59m
April06:0118:4412h 43m
May05:3918:5813h 19m
June05:3319:1213h 39m
July05:4319:1313h 31m
August05:5718:5613h 0m
September06:0818:2612h 18m
October06:2017:5611h 36m
November06:3817:3510h 58m
December06:5817:3610h 38m

Why the day gets longer and shorter in Abu Dhabi

Earth's axis is tilted about 23.4 degrees, so as the planet orbits the Sun, Abu Dhabi leans toward the Sun for part of the year and away for the rest. When it leans toward the Sun the days lengthen and the Sun climbs higher; half a year later the opposite happens. The size of the swing depends on how far Abu Dhabi sits from the equator: the further away, the bigger the difference between the longest and shortest day.

Frequently asked questions about day length in Abu Dhabi

When is the longest day in Abu Dhabi?

The longest day in Abu Dhabi falls around the June solstice, on Sunday, 21 June 2026 in 2026, with about 13h 39m of daylight, sunrise at 05:34 and sunset at 19:13.

When is the shortest day in Abu Dhabi?

The shortest day in Abu Dhabi falls around the December solstice, on Monday, 21 December 2026 in 2026, with about 10h 37m of daylight, sunrise at 07:01 and sunset at 17:39.

How much does day length change through the year in Abu Dhabi?

Between the longest and shortest day, Abu Dhabi gains and loses about 3h 2m of daylight. The change is fastest around the March and September equinoxes and slowest near the solstices.

Every figure is computed from Abu Dhabi's coordinates with SunCalc, not looked up from a table.

Day length in nearby cities

More light in Abu Dhabi