Climate change in the Arab region is accelerating, with 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record. A new UN report highlights rising temperatures, extreme events and sea-level rise, increasing risks for North Africa, the Middle East and neighbouring African regions.
Climate change in the Arab region reaches a critical point
2024 was the hottest year ever recorded and marked a turning point for climate change in the Arab region. According to the report State of the Climate in the Arab Region 2025, record temperatures, more intense extreme weather events and rising sea levels are clear warning signs that are worsening the region’s socio-economic vulnerability.
The publication is the first climate report specifically dedicated to the Arab region produced by the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for weather, climate and water monitoring.
Which countries are included in the Arab region
The Arab region includes 22 countries spanning around 13 million square kilometres across North Africa, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and parts of eastern Africa. Its geography is highly diverse, ranging from low-lying plains below 100 metres above sea level to mountain areas exceeding 4,000 metres.
The climate is predominantly arid or semi-arid, with significant variation between sub-regions. In North Africa, Mediterranean-facing countries such as Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt experience a Mediterranean climate along the coast, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Inland areas, particularly the Sahara Desert, are hyper-arid, marked by extreme heat, very low rainfall and large daily temperature fluctuations.
Countries in eastern Africa that are part of the Arab region, including Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti, face arid to semi-arid conditions, with high temperatures and limited precipitation. The Middle East features mountains, plateaus and fertile river valleys. While mountainous areas receive snow in winter, interior zones such as the Syrian Desert remain dry year-round, with hot summers and cold winters.
The Arabian Peninsula, which includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, is one of the most arid areas in the world. Most of the peninsula is hyper-arid desert, with extremely hot summers and irregular rainfall. However, monsoon influences bring additional precipitation to the mountainous regions of south-western Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
Climate change in the Arab region: 2024 was the hottest year on record
In 2024, the average annual temperature in the Arab region was 1.08 degrees C above the 1991–2020 climate baseline. As a result, last year was the hottest on record not only globally, but also across the Arab region.
North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula experienced their hottest year ever in 2024. In North Africa, maximum temperature anomalies reached 1.23 degrees C above the 1991–2020 average, and 2.07 degrees C compared with the 1961–1990 period. The Middle East recorded an even higher anomaly relative to the 1961–1990 baseline, at 2.08 degrees C.
All Arab sub-regions reported above-average temperatures compared with 1991–2020. The most significant anomalies were observed in North Africa, where temperatures exceeded the baseline by more than 2.0 degrees C in northern Algeria, the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and much of Tunisia. Anomalies between 1.4 and 1.6 degrees C affected the southern Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Jordan and Syria. The highest anomaly was recorded in Algeria, at 1.64 degrees C above the last 30-year average.
Warming faster than the global average
The Arab region is warming at almost twice the global average rate. Between 1991 and 2024, temperatures increased by nearly 0.4 degrees 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. This trend has direct implications for neighbouring African regions, including the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, where climate pressures are closely interconnected.
Climate change in the Arab region: extreme weather events
During 2024, extreme weather events in the Arab region caused at least 300 deaths and directly affected 3.77 million people. Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq and Syria were among the most severely impacted countries.
Floods and heatwaves had major consequences for infrastructure, livelihoods and public health. Flooding was the most frequent hazard, with 22 events recorded, including six flash floods. North Africa was the most affected sub-region, followed by the Arabian Peninsula.
Heatwaves were the second most common extreme event, with five episodes affecting multiple countries. The report notes, however, that economic losses and human impacts linked to climate disasters are often underestimated across the region.
Worsening drought conditions in North Africa
Drought was among the most widespread extreme events in the Arab region during 2024. The most affected areas were in North Africa, particularly Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and parts of Libya. Extreme drought conditions were recorded in north-western Algeria and northern Morocco.
Although less extensive than in North Africa, drought conditions also affected Syria and Iraq. Persistent and severe rainfall deficits throughout 2024 had a negative impact on water availability and agricultural production, with consequences that extend to food security across parts of Africa.
Sea-level rise above the global average
In 2024, average sea levels in the Arab region continued to rise at a sustained pace observed between January 1993 and December 2024, driven by ocean warming and the melting of land-based ice.
The report highlights strong regional variation due to differences in ocean thermal expansion and, to a lesser extent, salinity. Observations between January 1993 and June 2024 show that sea levels in ocean areas surrounding the Arab region rose faster than the global average.
The Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf and the Somali coast recorded estimated increases of around 4.0 millimetres per year, significantly above the global mean, with direct implications for coastal communities in North Africa and eastern Africa.
Early warning systems: above-average coverage, but gaps remain
Around 59% of countries in the Arab region have multi-hazard early warning systems in place, a share higher than the global average. However, significant gaps remain in territorial coverage, maintenance of observation networks and effective communication of risks to the population.
Strengthening early warning systems and regional cooperation will be essential to protect vulnerable communities, particularly in climate-exposed areas linking North Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
