It’s prime time to try a desert safari, go glamping and enjoy a lunchtime picnic at Dubai Creek Park.

The busy season is also stuffed with fun annual events, from Christmas festivities to marathons, markets and cool festivals.

If you prefer the temperature to be on the frosty side (or at least cool enough to warrant knitwear) you may be wondering when the winter season will officially begin in Dubai.

Astronomically speaking, Dubai winter starts on Sunday December 21 and lasts until Friday March 20.

During Dubai winter, we typically get over eight hours of sunlight each day and the average temperature during is 24.6°C.

Sunday December 21 is otherwise know as winter solstice and marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. This means that the sun will set at 5.34pm that day.

It’s a time when the sun takes its lowest arc across the sky, giving us fewer daylight hours, but more of that crisp, clear winter sky.

For residents and visitors in Dubai, the winter solstice is an exciting moment to enjoy the cooler temperatures and the promise of a starry night sky.