Arab world heating twice as fast as global average, WMO warns

The Arab region is warming at double the global rate and recorded its hottest year on record in 2024, according to a landmark report from the World Meteorological Organisation.

The first State of the Climate in the Arab Region report warns that the pace of temperature rise has accelerated sharply in recent decades, driving longer heatwaves, deeper droughts and more destructive storms across some of the world’s most water-stressed countries.

The assessment was produced by the WMO in partnership with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the League of Arab States to give governments clearer data for climate decision-making.

The region includes 15 of the world’s most water-scarce nations and is already struggling with rapid urbanisation, conflict, poverty and fast-growing populations. These challenges magnify the risks of extreme weather.

Record heat grips Arab world

“2024 was the hottest year on record for the Arab region, a continuation of a long-term trend. Temperatures are rising at twice the global average, with intense heatwaves that are pushing society to the limits,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She warned that human health, ecosystems and economies cannot withstand prolonged episodes of temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, which several countries experienced last year.

Average temperatures in 2024 were 1.08 degrees Celsius above the 1991 to 2020 norm. Heatwaves have become steadily longer since the early 1980s, particularly in North Africa and the Near East. Drought deepened across western North Africa after six failed rainy seasons, hitting Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia especially hard. At the same time, unusual and extreme rainfall caused floods in typically arid states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Extreme weather affected nearly 3.8 million people in 2024 and caused more than 300 deaths, mostly from heat and flooding. The report notes that the real toll is likely higher because of gaps in data. Disasters in the region have increased by 83 per cent between the periods 1980 to 1999 and 2000 to 2019.

The WMO says multi-hazard early warning systems are essential. Nearly 60 per cent of Arab countries now have such systems, above the global average, but the report stresses that coverage remains insufficient. Many governments are also expanding water security measures such as desalination, wastewater reuse, dam building and improved irrigation infrastructure.

Urgent call for regional preparedness

Looking ahead, the report incorporates climate projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Under high-emission scenarios, models show the Arab region could see temperature increases of up to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, with rising seas threatening coastal cities and declining rainfall putting food production at risk.

Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, said these projections provide a strategic tool to help countries prepare for future climate pressures. League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the report a “qualitative step” in strengthening regional understanding of climate risks.

The publication marks the first time the WMO has produced a State of the Climate assessment dedicated solely to the Arab world, drawing on contributions from national meteorological services, UN agencies, scientific experts and international organisations.