Annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 4,851 hectares in 2026. ▬ Flat
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia stood at 4,851 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 63.2% on the previous year and down 37.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia peaked at 13,179 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4,851 hectares, in 2026.
That places Saudi Arabia 128th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 8,456 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 10,061 hectares | +19.0% |
| 2014 | 9,953 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 8,891 hectares | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 7,813 hectares | -12.1% |
| 2017 | 7,374 hectares | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 6,026 hectares | -18.3% |
| 2019 | 7,893 hectares | +31.0% |
| 2020 | 7,012 hectares | -11.2% |
| 2021 | 10,275 hectares | +46.5% |
| 2022 | 9,913 hectares | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 7,503 hectares | -24.3% |
| 2024 | 8,102 hectares | +8.0% |
| 2025 | 13,179 hectares | +62.7% |
| 2026 | 4,851 hectares | -63.2% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 4,851 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 17.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 4,851 hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 984 hectares, 4.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8,308 hectares | 6,026 hectares | 10,061 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 8,691 hectares | 4,851 hectares | 13,179 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 125 East Timor 5,436 hectares compare
- 126 Belgium 5,433 hectares compare
- 127 Lesotho 4,933 hectares compare
- 129 Poland 4,087 hectares compare
- 130 New Caledonia 2,872 hectares compare
- 131 South Korea 2,659 hectares compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Saudi Arabia was 4,851 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 13,179 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,851 hectares in 2026.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 128th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual area burnt by wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.