[1] Deir Atiyah enjoys a moderate climate in summer and cold in the winter as it is located at an altitude of 1,250 metres (4,100 ft) above sea level.

The proximity to a desert region, where the average rainfall does not exceed more than 125 millimetres (4.9 in) annually, means that environmental conditions, including poor soil, does not provide adequate resources to economically sustain the local population.

Many locals immigrated to the Americas in the early 20th century, to the Persian Gulf countries after the emergence of job opportunities there, and to East Asia.

People in Deir Atiyah consume a hot drink called Mate, which Syrian expatriates brought and introduced from South America.

Historians match the name of this city with a supposed Roman or Byzantine official, Theodorus Paulus, whose first name means "Gift of God" (Arabic: عطاء الله).