TITLE:
Unveiling Riyadh’s Urban Heat Island: A 37-Year Analysis of Temperature Trends and Climate Dynamics
AUTHORS:
Abdullrahman Maghrabi, Abdulah Aldosari, Mohammed Al Mutairi, Mohammed Altlasi, Abdulah Al Shehre
KEYWORDS:
Megacity, Urban Heat Island, Arid Climate and Urbanization, Green Riyadh Initiative
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
21,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study presents the first multi-decadal, ground-based characterization of the urban heat island (UHI) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a 37-year in-situ dataset (1985-2021) from urban (old Riyadh Air Base) and rural (King Khalid International Airport) meteorological stations. The analysis reveals significant warming trends at both sites, with the urban area warming faster (0.07˚C yr−1, p −1, p −1, p −1) and monthly maxima up to 3.03˚C (November 2017). Rapid urbanization—5.5-fold built-up expansion (350 to 1935 km2), impervious cover rising from 45% to 88% in the urban core, and population growth to ~7.5 million—emerged as the dominant driver, amplified by anthropogenic heat, reduced evapotranspiration, and urban canyon effects. Interannual variability was modulated by global (Mount Pinatubo, 1992 cooling), regional (Gulf War aerosols), and local (March-May dust storms) forcings. The Mann-Kendall test confirmed significant UHII intensification in seven months, with spring exhibiting the highest variability (±0.35˚C). A multiple linear regression across 18 arid cities (R2 = 0.81, p