Climate zones in Saudi Arabia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Saudi Arabia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,460,535 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,924,368 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 100%.
Almost all of Saudi Arabia is one climate: BWh, hot desert, which covers 100% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), almost none of Saudi Arabia changes zone by 2071 to 2099 (0.3%).
How Saudi Arabia's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 0.5% | 0% | BWh +0.5 percentage points | BWk -0.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 0.3% | 0% | BSh +0.1 percentage points | BWk -0.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 0.3% | 0% | BSh +0.1 percentage points | BWk -0.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 0.3% | 0% | BWh +0.1 percentage points | BWk -0.2 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 99% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| BWk Cold desert | 0.6% | 0.2% | - | - | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Saudi Arabia and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Jeddah | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Riyadh | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Makkah | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Madinah | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Dammam | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Sulţānah | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Buraydah | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Ta’if | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Tabuk | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Ha'il | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
Zones found in Saudi Arabia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.