Art & Culture

Missed Yesterday’s Solar Eclipse? The Region Gets an Even Bigger One Next Year

BYMille Team

August 13, 2026

Did you miss yesterday’s total solar eclipse? Maybe you were nowhere near the path of totality, forgot to get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses in time (me), or watched the whole thing unfold through other people’s shaky phone footage instead. Either way, there is some very good news for anyone in the Middle East and North Africa: the next one is ours.

Mark Aug. 2, 2027 on your calendar as a total solar eclipse will sweep across North Africa and the Middle East, passing through parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen before continuing toward the Horn of Africa. And unlike the Aug. 12, 2026 eclipse, whose path of totality primarily crossed Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain, next year’s event will put the Arab world directly beneath the Moon’s shadow.

At its longest point, totality will last around six minutes and 22 seconds, making the Aug. 2 eclipse an exceptionally long one. For comparison, totality during yesterday’s eclipse lasted a little over two minutes at its maximum. In other words, if yesterday gave you eclipse FOMO, consider this your second chance.

Where Can You See the Total Solar Eclipse?

The important word here is total. Although a partial eclipse will be visible across a much larger portion of the Middle East, the full experience, when the Moon completely covers the Sun and daytime briefly turns to darkness, can only be seen from within the relatively narrow path of totality.

For viewers in the region, Egypt and western Saudi Arabia will be among the most exciting places to be. The path also crosses northern Morocco, northern Algeria, Tunisia and Libya before moving across Egypt and the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Luxor, Egypt

The Egyptian city sits remarkably close to the point of maximum eclipse, meaning viewers will get roughly six minutes and 22 seconds of totality. The partial eclipse begins at approximately 11:40 a.m. local time, with maximum eclipse occurring at around 1:05 p.m. The entire event lasts until approximately 2:26 p.m.

The path of totality passes through an area containing some of Egypt’s best-known ancient sites, meaning the Sun could disappear above a landscape that includes the temples and tombs of ancient Thebes. Given the combination of exceptionally long totality and Egypt’s typically dry summer climate, Luxor is already being singled out internationally as one of the prime places to watch.

Morocco

The Moon’s shadow will enter North Africa through northern Morocco, before traveling east across Algeria and Tunisia, putting a sizeable stretch of the Maghreb directly inside the path of totality.

Morocco will be one of the first countries to experience totality on Aug. 2, with the path cutting across the far north of the country, including Tangier and surrounding areas. The partial phase begins in Morocco at approximately 7:33 a.m. local time, while totality begins to sweep across the country at around 8:44 a.m. and leaves by approximately 8:53 a.m. The partial eclipse continues until around 10:09 a.m.

The distinction between north and south matters, however. Cities outside the path will still see a substantial partial solar eclipse, but they will not experience the brief period of complete darkness that defines totality.

Algeria

Then comes Algeria, which sits squarely along the eclipse’s route across North Africa. The partial eclipse begins in the country at approximately 8:37 a.m. local time, with the Moon’s shadow beginning to produce totality at around 9:49 a.m. Totality continues moving across Algeria until approximately 10:10 a.m., while the partial phase ends around 11:42 a.m. And some Algerian cities are in for a particularly impressive show. In Oran, the eclipse begins at approximately 8:44 a.m., reaches its maximum around 9:53 a.m. and ends at approximately 11:09 a.m. Crucially, Oran is inside the path of totality, with the Sun expected to disappear completely for around five minutes and eight seconds.

Further east, M’Sila is also inside the path, with totality lasting approximately five minutes and 23 seconds. The eclipse begins there at around 8:48 a.m., peaks around 10 a.m. and ends at approximately 11:18 a.m. That makes Algeria one of the standout destinations for the 2027 eclipse. More than five uninterrupted minutes of totality is an unusually long window, particularly compared with the roughly two-minute maximum experienced during the Aug. 12, 2026 eclipse.

Tunisia

From Algeria, the Moon’s shadow moves into Tunisia, where several cities will experience totality. The eclipse begins nationally at approximately 8:52 a.m. local time, with totality first reaching Tunisia at around 10:04 a.m. and leaving the country at approximately 10:15 a.m. The final partial phase ends around 11:35 a.m.

Some of the best viewing conditions will be found farther south. Sfax is expected to experience around five minutes and 41 seconds of totality, with the eclipse reaching its maximum there at approximately 10:11 a.m. Kasserine gets around five minutes and 28 seconds, while Gafsa gets roughly five minutes and nine seconds. Even Djerba falls within the path, with Houmt Souk expected to experience around four minutes and 43 seconds of totality. Kairouan sits closer to the edge of the path but still gets around two minutes and 45 seconds.

However, one place that doesn’t quite make the cut is Tunis. The capital sits north of the path of totality and will experience a very deep partial eclipse instead, peaking at around 10:10 a.m.

Libya

Libya is one of the most impressive places to see the 2027 eclipse. The path of totality crosses northern Libya, with totality sweeping across the country between roughly 11:16 a.m. and 11:46 a.m. local time. Most notably, Benghazi gets an extraordinary six minutes and 11 seconds of totality, putting it very close to the maximum duration anywhere along the eclipse path. There, the partial eclipse begins at 10:10 a.m., totality occurs around 11:28–11:34 a.m., maximum eclipse is at 11:31 a.m., and the eclipse ends at 12:53 p.m.

But not all of Libya is within the path of totality. Tripoli, for example, gets an extremely deep partial eclipse but does not experience totality, while Benghazi sits comfortably inside the path. Tobruk is also just outside it.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The path of totality cuts across the western portion of the Kingdom, including Jeddah, where the partial eclipse will begin at approximately 12 p.m. local time. Totality arrives around 1:22 p.m., with maximum eclipse at approximately 1:25 p.m. Depending on your precise location within the city, the Sun will remain completely covered for nearly six minutes before the partial eclipse eventually ends at approximately 2:43 p.m.

Makkah, Saudi Arabia

The eclipse will also pass directly over Makkah, where the partial phase begins at approximately 12:02 p.m. Maximum eclipse arrives around 1:26 p.m., and totality will last roughly five minutes.

Across Saudi Arabia more broadly, the eclipse will be visible in some form from approximately 11:41 a.m. until 3 p.m., although only locations within the path will experience complete totality.

What About the Rest of the Middle East?

You do not necessarily need to travel to see something impressive. Much of the wider region will experience a partial solar eclipse, although the amount of the Sun obscured will vary considerably depending on location. In Riyadh, for example, the eclipse begins at approximately 12:13 p.m., peaks around 1:32 p.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. The capital sits outside the path of totality, so the Sun will never become completely covered.

In Dubai, the partial eclipse begins at approximately 1:33 p.m. GST, reaches its maximum at 2:43 p.m. and ends at around 3:48 p.m.

Amman will also get a significant partial eclipse, beginning at approximately 11:42 a.m., peaking around 1:02 p.m. and ending at 2:18 p.m. In Beirut, it begins at approximately 11:40 a.m., reaches maximum eclipse around 12:58 p.m. and finishes at roughly 2:14 p.m.

Yesterday’s eclipse may have belonged largely to Europe, but on Aug. 2, 2027, millions of people across the Arab world will only have to look up—with eclipse glasses on, obviously.

Missed Yesterday’s Solar Eclipse? The Region Gets an Even Bigger One Next Year

Where Can You See the Total Solar Eclipse?

What About the Rest of the Middle East?

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Missed Yesterday’s Solar Eclipse? The Region Gets an Even Bigger One Next Year

Where Can You See the Total Solar Eclipse?

What About the Rest of the Middle East?

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