The Climate Change Center (CCC) successfully hosted its scientific workshop “Extreme Weather and Climate in the Arabian Peninsula and Their Future” on September 29, bringing together 120 climate scientists, researchers, and stakeholders at the Jeddah Marriott Hotel.

The one-day workshop brought together experts from KAUST, the National Center for Meteorology (NCM), NEOM, and King Abdulaziz University to address the rising frequency, severity, and complexity of extreme weather events across the Arabian Peninsula.

The event emphasized the region’s position at the frontline of climate change and underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration between science and policy to enhance regional resilience against extreme weather events. The program featured three key sessions: “Science of Extremes: Past and Present,” “Risks and Futures,” and “Preparing for the Future.” Nine distinguished speakers presented their research on topics including flash floods, heatwaves, high-resolution climate projections, and satellite monitoring tools.

Dr. Shamsuddin Shahid opened the first session with insights into emerging patterns of extreme rainfall, followed by Dr. Saquib Saharwardi, who delivered a comprehensive presentation on heatwaves under warming climate conditions, and Dr. Alexander Ukhov, who presented on atmospheric modeling.
During the second session, Dr. Hari Dasari presented high-resolution climate projections for the Arabian Peninsula and Dr. Thang Luong discussed advances in forecasting extreme weather events. Dr. Humaid Ali Albadi complemented the session with insights on satellite monitoring tools.
The final session featured Dr. Yoshi Wada exploring water and agriculture security under extreme climate stress, while Dr. Ahmed Samman and Dr. Turki Habeebullah addressed resilient infrastructure and public health aspects.

The workshop concluded with a science-policy dialogue aimed at integrating scientific insights on extreme weather into national policy frameworks, directly supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative. Key outcomes included a strengthened understanding of regional extreme events, identification of critical knowledge gaps, and practical recommendations to enhance preparedness and adaptation strategies across the Kingdom.