Will the total solar eclipse be visible in the Middle East and North Africa?

Millions of people will look to the skies on Wednesday as a total solar eclipse sweeps across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, briefly turning day to dusk along a narrow path stretching from the Arctic to southern Europe.

But what will people across the Middle East and North Africa see?

The answer depends heavily on where they are.

No country in the MENA region lies within the path of totality on 12 August, meaning nowhere in the region will see the Moon completely cover the Sun.

Parts of the Maghreb, however, will experience a deep partial eclipse, with Algeria coming tantalisingly close to totality.

Where in MENA will the eclipse be visible?

Algeria will have the best view in the region.

In Algiers, the partial eclipse will begin at about 6:42pm local time, according to NASA, with the Moon eventually obscuring about 96% of the Sun.

Maximum coverage is expected at around 7:33pm, shortly before sunset at approximately 7:42pm.

That means the Sun will disappear below the horizon while still heavily eclipsed, potentially producing a striking crescent-shaped sunset for viewers with a clear western horizon.

Morocco will also get an impressive view. In Casablanca, the eclipse will begin at about 6:48pm and reach its maximum at 7:43pm, when around 87% of the Sun will be covered. The partial eclipse will continue towards sunset.

Tunisia sits further from the Moon's central shadow and will see a more modest eclipse. In Tunis, it begins at about 6:41pm and reaches its maximum at 7:11pm, with roughly 50% of the Sun obscured before sunset.

Mauritania is also expected to see a partial eclipse, although the amount of the Sun covered will vary depending on location.

What about the Middle East and Gulf?

For much of the rest of the MENA region, there will be little or nothing to see.

The Gulf states, Egypt, Iraq and most of the Levant fall outside the main observable eclipse zone, meaning the August 12 event will largely pass them by.

That includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, as well as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.

The sharp regional divide comes down to the route taken by the Moon's shadow across Earth. The partial eclipse reaches northwestern Africa in the evening, but its shadow does not extend far enough east to produce a significant eclipse across most of the Arab world.

Where will the eclipse be total?

The total eclipse begins at 15:34 GMT, with the Moon's shadow sweeping across Greenland, Iceland, parts of northern Russia and the North Atlantic before reaching the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain will offer some of the most accessible views of totality.

Cities including León, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Teruel and Valencia fall within the path where the Moon will completely cover the Sun. Madrid and Barcelona are just outside it, but will still see around 99% of the Sun obscured.

For most people within the path, totality will last less than two minutes, although it can stretch to a little over two minutes in areas close to the centre of the Moon's shadow.

Around 15 million people are estimated to live within the path of totality, while hundreds of millions more across Europe, North Africa and North America will see at least a partial eclipse.

What exactly is a total solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow across part of the planet.

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun for observers standing within a narrow corridor known as the path of totality.

Daylight briefly dims and the Sun's corona, its normally hidden outer atmosphere, becomes visible around the Moon.

People outside that narrow corridor may instead experience a partial eclipse, in which the Moon covers only part of the Sun.

The coincidence is possible because although the Sun is roughly 400 times wider than the Moon, it is also about 400 times farther from Earth, making the two appear approximately the same size in our sky.

Is it safe to watch the eclipse?

Anyone watching Wednesday's partial eclipse in North Africa must use proper solar viewing protection.

Ordinary sunglasses, regardless of how dark they are, are not safe for looking directly at the Sun.

Eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers designed for solar observation should be used throughout a partial eclipse.

The brief period when eye protection can be removed applies only to observers experiencing totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun.

Since no MENA country lies in the path of totality on 12 August, viewers in the region should not look directly at the eclipse without appropriate protection at any point.

When will MENA get a total solar eclipse?

For people in the region disappointed by Wednesday's event, the wait will not be long.

The next total solar eclipse will take place on August 2, 2027, and its path will cut directly across North Africa and the Middle East.

The eclipse will cross parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before continuing across the Red Sea and into Saudi Arabia and Yemen.