Combining ability for grain yield and other traits were evaluated in a half diallel fashion in maize. Eight yellow maize inbred lines were crossed in half diallel fashion excluding the reciprocals during the summer season of 2018 at Gemmeiza station, the resulting 28F₁ were evaluated along with check SC168 at two locations (Gemmeiza and Sids) in 2019 summer season. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications was used. Mean squares of GCA and SCA were highly significant for all the studied traits at combined data, except SCA for ear diameter. The non-additive gene effects were most responsible for controlling the inheritance of days to 50% silking, plant height, ear length and grain yield. While the additive gene effects had the important role in the inheritance of ear height and ear diameter. The parents; P₆ and P₇ were significant for general combiner for yield and p < sub>4 for earliness. The crosses P₃ xP₇, P₅ x P₈ andP₆ x P₇ had desirable SCA effects for earliness. Meanwhile, the crosses P₂ xP₈, P₃ x P₆, P₄ x P₅ and P₅ x p < sub>7 showed high SCA effect for grain yield.  The single crosses; P₂ xP₇, P₂ x P₈,P₃ x P_6, P₅ x P_7, P₆ xP₇ andP₇ x P₈ had desirable  mean values for earliness and grain yield.