Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 5,324 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5,324 hectares
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
93rd
of 225 countries
All-time high
51,647 hectares
in 2002
All-time low
858.64 hectares
in 2019
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Saudi Arabia, 2002–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k2002201320242002: 51.6k hectares2003: 23.4k hectares2004: 25.9k hectares2005: 31.6k hectares2006: 24.9k hectares2007: 23.1k hectares2008: 6.2k hectares2009: 11.5k hectares2010: 9.3k hectares2011: 1.8k hectares2012: 3.4k hectares2013: 1.3k hectares2014: 1.4k hectares2015: 4.7k hectares2016: 2.0k hectares2017: 2.0k hectares2018: 4.2k hectares2019: 858.6 hectares2020: 2.7k hectares2021: 4.6k hectares2022: 8.3k hectares2023: 5.2k hectares2024: 5.3k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 5,324 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2024.

The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 287.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Saudi Arabia peaked at 51,647 hectares in 2002 and was at its lowest, 858.64 hectares, in 2019.

That places Saudi Arabia 93rd out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 24,774 hectares 6,161 hectares 51,647 hectares 8
2010s 3,076 hectares 858.64 hectares 9,273 hectares 10
2020s 5,229 hectares 2,683 hectares 8,329 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 90 Eritrea 6,633 hectares compare
  2. 91 Burundi 6,569 hectares compare
  3. 92 Portugal 6,053 hectares compare
  4. 94 Panama 5,130 hectares compare
  5. 95 Montenegro 4,680 hectares compare
  6. 96 Serbia 4,229 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Saudi Arabia?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Saudi Arabia was 5,324 hectares in 2024, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 51,647 hectares in 2002.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 858.64 hectares in 2019.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Saudi Arabia ranks 93rd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is up 287.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Area burned by wildfires by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
225 places, 5,175 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.