emirates7 - According to the latest figures from the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat), rainfall across GCC countries rose by 39.6% in 2023, reaching 97.2 mm compared to 69.7 mm in 2022. Despite this significant increase, rainfall levels remained below the historical average of 109.6 mm recorded between 1980 and 2009.
The data also showed a rise in the number of dams used to collect surface water from rainfall, with 861 dams in 2023 compared to 854 in the previous year.
In contrast, temperatures in 2023 hit new highs. The average maximum temperature climbed to 48.2°C, up from 46.8°C in 2022. Notably, the average minimum temperature also rose sharply to 9.5°C, compared to 5°C the year before.
The GCC region benefits from rich solar resources, with daily solar radiation levels averaging between 5.6 and 6.4 W/m² during the period from 1999 to 2018. This underscores the strong potential for solar energy to play a key role in sustainable electricity production, especially during the region’s hot summers.
In line with this potential, solar energy generation in the GCC saw a significant surge—from just 0.13 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2013 to 10.8 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2022, representing an average annual growth rate of 81.1%. Over the same period, the design capacity of solar power plants expanded by an average of 94.6% per year.
Additionally, the number of climate monitoring stations across the region grew to 297 in 2023, up from 161 in 2013.
All GCC member states have also adopted national strategies for disaster risk reduction, aligning with the goals and guidelines of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
The data also showed a rise in the number of dams used to collect surface water from rainfall, with 861 dams in 2023 compared to 854 in the previous year.
In contrast, temperatures in 2023 hit new highs. The average maximum temperature climbed to 48.2°C, up from 46.8°C in 2022. Notably, the average minimum temperature also rose sharply to 9.5°C, compared to 5°C the year before.
The GCC region benefits from rich solar resources, with daily solar radiation levels averaging between 5.6 and 6.4 W/m² during the period from 1999 to 2018. This underscores the strong potential for solar energy to play a key role in sustainable electricity production, especially during the region’s hot summers.
In line with this potential, solar energy generation in the GCC saw a significant surge—from just 0.13 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2013 to 10.8 thousand gigawatt-hours in 2022, representing an average annual growth rate of 81.1%. Over the same period, the design capacity of solar power plants expanded by an average of 94.6% per year.
Additionally, the number of climate monitoring stations across the region grew to 297 in 2023, up from 161 in 2013.
All GCC member states have also adopted national strategies for disaster risk reduction, aligning with the goals and guidelines of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.