empowerME climate profiles

The Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative will be highlighting the dire climate situation for differing nations in the Middle East and North Africa region through our “Climate Profiles” series.

See the latest country profiles

Saudi Arabia

Climate change is a pressing global calamity with extensive and varied implications, profoundly affecting both the economy and social fabric of Saudi Arabia. Given the Kingdom’s unique geographic location, economy, and social context, the impacts of climate change are particularly significant for Riyadh. At the same time, the situation creates a significant opportunity for economic diversification for the kingdom. Thus, the Saudi Vision 2030 framework emphasizes the development of non-oil sectors, including tourism, manufacturing, and finance, to create a more resilient and sustainable economy.

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UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), situated on the Arabian Peninsula, boasts a total land area spanning 83,600 km2, with a coastline stretching 1,318 km along the southeastern portion of the Persian Gulf. The nation’s climate is predominantly hot and humid, characterized by vast expanses of desert covering approximately four fifths of its land area, rendering it a water-scarce and hyper-arid environment. Foreseeable consequences include extreme heat, storm surges, sea level rise, water stress, dust and sandstorms, and desertification. Even slight deviations in weather patterns could wield profound implications for the country’s economic, environmental, and social well-being.

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Egypt

Egypt is confronting significant threats from the impacts of climate change. The country’s heavy reliance on the Nile River for 88 percent of its water supply, coupled with 97 percent of its population residing in the Nile River Delta, means that any substantial reduction in the Nile’s flow poses a grave danger to Egypt’s stability. Egypt’s large population of over a million people, growing at 2.5 percent per year, above the global population growth average (1 percent), exacerbates the country’s vulnerability to the changing climate. Densely populated cities and urban areas in the Nile Delta will be significantly impacted by the combined effects of sea level rise (SLR), increasing flood events, and water availability challenges.

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Libya

Storm Daniel caused the floods as it moved southward into Libya. The storm has earned the label of ‘the deadliest storm’ on a global scale, surpassing even Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which claimed the lives of 7,354 people in the Philippines. The casualties resulting from Daniel have also exceeded those of the 1927 floods in Algeria, where 3,000 people lost their lives. These statistics are based on data from the international disaster database (EM-DAT), which also identifies Daniel as the deadliest storm in Africa since 1900.

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Iran

Iran is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It also bears significant responsibility for climate change globally and in the region, as it ranks first in the Middle East and eighth worldwide, for its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with annual carbon dioxide amounting to nearly 617 tons. Nevertheless, the country’s rapid urbanization process has also contributed significantly to elevated air pollution levels and the formation of heat islands, where urban areas experience higher temperatures than their surroundings.

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Morocco

Morocco has been recognized by the 4th Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as significantly vulnerable to changes in climate. The country is affected by the increase of average temperatures, droughts, and changes in sea levels and rainfall patterns. It is projected to witness a decrease in water precipitation of 10-20 percent across the country, with a 30 percent decline in the Saharan region by 2100.

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Kuwait

Kuwait, like many countries, faces multiple challenges due to climate change. As a small-sized, arid country nestled in the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is particularly vulnerable to the challenges posed by a changing climate. Water scarcity and the vulnerability of coastal regions, along with impacts on biodiversity, agriculture, energy, health, and infrastructure, are some of the key areas that demand immediate attention.

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Iraq

Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to climate change and is the most vulnerable country to changes in climate in the Middle East and North Africa region. Temperature increase and water scarcity are both affecting Iraq’s economic and social stability. Over the past four decades, average temperatures in the country increased by over 2.5 degrees Celsius. By 2050, Iraq is expected to be the ‘hottest’ country in the region.

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