The Arab region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, with 2024 bringing record heat, destructive storms and worsening water scarcity, UN weather experts have confirmed.
The World Meteorological Organization’s first State of the Climate in the Arab Region report said several countries recorded temperatures above 50°C (122°F) last year, while average regional temperatures were 1.08°C higher than the 1991‑2020 baseline.
WMO Secretary‑General Celeste Saulo warned that prolonged heatwaves “are pushing society to the limits…it is simply too hot to handle.” She said human health, ecosystems and economies cannot withstand extended spells above 50°C, noting that droughts are becoming more frequent while dangerous floods are also striking.
The report found an 83 percent rise in recorded disasters in Arab nations between 1980‑1999 and 2000‑2019. The region, home to 15 of the world’s most water‑scarce countries, has endured dust storms, drought and floods.
Western North Africa suffered worsening drought in 2024 after six failed rainy seasons, particularly in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Meanwhile, extreme rainfall and flash floods caused destruction in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
WMO said these shocks are compounding pressures from conflict, rapid population growth and economic fragility, warning that without stronger adaptation measures, the challenges will intensify as temperatures continue to rise.