The first UN report on climate change in the Arab region shows that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with extreme heat, worsening drought and accelerating sea-level rise compounding socio-economic vulnerability.
A record-breaking year for climate change in the Arab region
The year 2024 marked a critical turning point for climate change in the Arab region. According to the report State of the Climate in the Arab Region 2025, released by the World Meteorological Organization, the UN’s meteorological agency, record temperatures, intensifying extreme events and rising sea levels are deepening the region’s exposure to climate risks.
This is the first report produced by the WMO specifically focused on the Arab region, providing a comprehensive scientific assessment of climate trends and impacts across 22 countries.
What defines the Arab region
The Arab region spans 22 countries across North Africa, the Near East, the Arabian Peninsula and parts of East Africa, covering approximately 13 million square kilometers. The geography ranges from low-lying plains below 100 meters above sea level to mountain ranges exceeding 4,000 meters.
The climate is predominantly arid or semi-arid, with strong subregional variations. Mediterranean coastal areas in North Africa, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, experience mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Inland areas, particularly the Sahara, are hyper-arid, characterized by extreme heat and very limited rainfall.
East African countries within the region, such as Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti, face arid to semi-arid conditions. The Near East combines mountains, plateaus and fertile river valleys, while the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, is among the driest areas in the world, with extremely hot summers and irregular rainfall.
Climate change in the Arab region: 2024 the hottest year on record
In 2024, the annual average temperature across the Arab region was 1.08°C above the 1991–2020 climatological reference period. It was the hottest year ever recorded both globally and regionally.
North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula experienced their warmest year on record. North Africa recorded a maximum temperature anomaly of 1.23°C above the 1991–2020 average, and 2.07°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The Near East registered an even higher anomaly of 2.08°C compared with the 1961–1990 reference period.
All subregions recorded above-average temperatures in 2024. In northern Algeria, the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and much of Tunisia, temperatures exceeded the 1991–2020 average by more than 2.0°C. Southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Jordan and Syria, saw anomalies between 1.4°C and 1.6°C. Algeria recorded the highest anomaly, at 1.64°C above the recent 30-year average.
Warming nearly twice the global average
The report confirms that climate change in the Arab region is progressing at almost twice the global average rate. Between 1991 and 2024, temperatures increased by nearly 0.4°C per decade, more than double the rate observed between 1961 and 1990.
The Middle East and North Africa are already among the hottest regions globally, and climate projections indicate a continued intensification of extreme summer heat.
Extreme events and rising impacts
In 2024 alone, extreme weather events in the Arab region caused at least 300 fatalities and directly affected 3.77 million people. Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq and Syria were among the hardest hit countries.
Flooding was the most frequent hazard, with 22 recorded events, including six flash floods. North Africa was the most affected subregion, followed by the Arabian Peninsula. Heatwaves were the second most frequent extreme event, with five major episodes impacting multiple countries.
The report notes that economic and human losses linked to climate disasters are often underestimated in the region.
Worsening drought in North Africa
Drought was one of the most widespread climate hazards in 2024. Northern Africa, particularly Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and parts of Libya, experienced persistent drought conditions. Extreme drought was observed in northwestern Algeria and northern Morocco.
Although less widespread than in North Africa, drought also affected Syria and Iraq. Severe precipitation deficits during 2024 negatively impacted water resources and agricultural production, further intensifying food and economic vulnerabilities.
Sea-level rise above the global average
In 2024, the global mean sea level in the Arab region continued to rise at a sustained rate between January 1993 and December 2024, driven by ocean warming and the melting of land ice. However, the report stresses that the rate of increase varies significantly across the region due to differences in ocean thermal expansion and, to a lesser extent, variations in salinity.
Observations recorded between January 1993 and June 2024 show that sea levels in the ocean areas surrounding the Arab region have risen at rates above the global average. The Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf and the Somali coast recorded an estimated rate of around 4.0 mm per year, significantly higher than the global mean.
Early warning systems: progress with gaps
Approximately 59% of countries in the Arab region have multi-hazard early warning systems in place, a proportion above the global average. However, significant gaps remain in territorial coverage, maintenance of observation networks and effective risk communication to communities.
