Doha: 22nd of January 2026

“Climate change is one of the most complex issues society will ever face — it touches everything,” says Michael Wood, Partner for Sustainability at EY, opening a compelling new episode of the Al-Attiyah Foundation Podcast on what a climate-resilient GCC could look like by 2050. In a region warming faster than the global average, the Middle East projected to heat by 1–2°C by mid-century and facing intensifying water scarcity and food insecurity, Wood argues that the Gulf must move from reactive planning to “predictive, adaptive capacity” if it is to withstand the decades ahead.

Wood, who has worked in sustainability and climate-related disciplines for two decades, explains how national development frameworks such as Qatar National Vision 2030, Saudi Vision 2030, and the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 strategy have become “the strategic long-term blueprints” shaping investment across the region. Sustainability, he stresses, is “embedded into the DNA of these visions,” a point supported by independent reviews showing that Gulf development strategies increasingly integrate environmental protection and climate alignment.

Yet ambition alone is not enough. “Unfortunately, most climate policies fail,” Wood notes, referencing an Oxford University machine-learning analysis of 1,500 global climate policies which found that only 4% achieved meaningful emissions reductions. That study underscores his argument that the GCC must avoid “binary, singular approaches” and instead coordinate action across sectors and borders.

Urban resilience is one of the most pressing challenges. Gulf megacities like Dubai and Riyadh, already heat-stressed, face rising humidity, an often-overlooked climate hazard. “For every degree Celsius rise, the air’s ability to hold water increases by 7%,” Wood says, citing a well-established relationship in climate physics based on the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Higher humidity threatens human health, weakens materials, strains Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and pressures water infrastructure. Studies show that Gulf humidity is projected to intensify due to warming in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, raising wet-bulb temperatures in some areas to dangerous levels.

Water scarcity sits at the centre of this challenge. The GCC relies heavily on seawater desalination, which provides a significant share of the region’s potable water. While “absolutely critical,” Wood notes the environmental trade-offs, especially brine discharge, which research shows is altering salinity levels and stressing marine ecosystems. Global analyses confirm that the Gulf accounts for a disproportionately high share of global desalination output and brine volumes.

Food security is equally vulnerable. Many Gulf states import up to 90% of their food, a figure frequently cited by regional policy institutes, leaving them exposed to global climate and market disruptions. A UN report warns that climate stressors across supplier regions will increasingly influence food availability and price stability for Middle Eastern importers.

Wood also addresses the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the GCC’s emergence as a global hub for data centres. While acknowledging the energy challenges, he argues AI will become essential for identifying efficient decarbonisation pathways, consistent with academic assessments of AI’s growing role in climate modelling and optimisation.

But resilience is ultimately about people. Wood praises youth-focused initiatives such as Saudi Arabia’s Misk Foundation, saying: “This is a known issue now. We need to accept that responsibility and treat this as our legacy.” His final warning is clear: “Net zero by 2050 is just the entrée. The main course is 2050 to 2100, when climate hazards intensify.”

To listen to the full discussion, visit abhafoundation.org or the Foundation’s YouTube channel.