From predicting UAE’s winter and rains to best time to travel: How ancient Drour calendar has all the answers

From predicting UAE’s winter and rains to best time to travel: How ancient Drour calendar has all the answers

Suhail star that will rise on August 24 marks the first day on the calendar and signals the beginning of cooler temperatures

Published: Tue 23 Aug 2022, 7:00 AM

When will the scorching summer temperatures in the UAE start cooling down? When will winter begin? When is a good time to go fishing? Is it safe to travel this month? To get answers to these questions and more, all we need to do is look up to the night sky, much like our ancestors did centuries ago.

Suhail star (or the Canopus) is expected to rise on August 24 this year and signal the end of the summer in the UAE. However, this well-known fact is just one of the several aspects of life it signifies. For instance, the star also marks the beginning of an ancient Arab calendar called Drour, according to Hasan Al Hariri, CEO, Dubai Astronomy Group.

According to Hariri’s research, similar calendars date back at least 4,000 years in some form or the other. In the region, it may date back up to 800 years. “It tells us when to expect the rains and heat, and the best time to travel or settle down. This is not magic or something