The city has become a sobering reminder of the devastating effects of climate change, with birds dying from the heat and fish being cooked alive in the sea
08:00, 25 Dec 2025Updated 08:11, 25 Dec 2025
Kuwait City, once dubbed the idyllic "Marseilles of the Gulf", has endured such blistering heat that wildlife is literally being cooked alive.
The Middle Eastern city has become a stark warning of climate change's devastating impact, with birds plummeting lifeless from scorching skies and fish being boiled in the sea.In its glory days, Kuwait City flourished as a vibrant centre with a thriving fishing trade and pristine beaches that drew sun-seeking tourists. Today, it grapples with the terrifying prospect of becoming too hot for human habitation.
A jaw-dropping 54C (129F) was clocked at Mitribah weather station on 21 July 2016, making Kuwait the third hottest place on Earth. Even Europe's Cerberus Heatwave looks mild by comparison, falling a full 10 degrees Celsius short of Kuwait's peak. Climate scientists warn of a grim future, predicting this desert nation could see temperatures soar by up to 5.5C (10F) by the end of the century compared to early 2000s levels. In 2023 alone, the thermometer climbed above 50C (122F) on 19 separate days, a figure many fear is only the beginning.
Urban sprawl has turned Kuwait City into a baking maze of unforgiving concrete and tarmac, areas that are rapidly becoming dangerously hot for human survival during summer months. Adding to the concern, scientific data shows a decline in yearly rainfall, fuelling ferocious dust storms sweeping across the increasingly parched country.
The blistering heatwave has created distressing scenes, with birds plummeting lifeless from the skies and seahorses literally boiled alive in the bay, whilst even hardy pigeons desperately hunt for shade from the unforgiving sun. As the mercury climbs to a deadly 50C – an eye-watering 13C higher than normal human body temperature – the danger of heat-related conditions like heat exhaustion and heart problems rises sharply.
In a remarkable step, Kuwait has allowed nighttime burials because of the oppressive heat, whilst the affluent hide away in their climate-controlled havens, whether at home, work, or shopping centres. This savage weather has driven the development of cutting-edge buildings such as an indoor shopping street, featuring palm trees and European-inspired shops, giving visitors a refuge from the punishing conditions.
Research from 2020 showed that a whopping two-thirds of household electricity usage comes from the constant running of air conditioning units. Writing for ExpatsExchange, Joshua Wood commended Kuwait for its "high quality of life" in a "modern, luxurious and safe" setting but warned about the extreme heat, noting it's "very hot from May through September" and becomes "insanely hot" during the height of summer from June to August. Despite the blistering heat, the streets are far from empty.
Migrant workers, mainly from Arab, South and South East Asian countries, makeup about 70% of the nation's population. Many individuals are lured to Kuwait to work in sectors such as construction or domestic services. These workers fill the sweltering public buses of the capital and throng the streets.
A study conducted in 2023 by the Institute of Physics highlighted that migrant workers can be especially susceptible to negative health impacts due to exposure to extreme temperatures. The research suggests that by the century's end, climate change could result in a 5.1% to 11.7% increase in heat-related deaths across the entire population, and even up to 15% among non-Kuwaiti individuals.
Warnings about our planet are often ignored, yet in Kuwait - where the devastating effects of climate change are already visible and the carbon footprint is colossal - only Bahrain and Qatar have higher footprints. While neighbouring nations have pledged significant cuts in emissions, Kuwait's commitments seem paltry in comparison. At COP26, the country announced it would only slightly reduce emissions (by 7.4%) by 2035.
Kuwaiti government officials forecast that energy demand will triple by 2030. This is largely attributed to the expected surge in the use of indoor cooling systems. The government subsidising a significant chunk of electricity costs has resulted in little motivation for residents to reduce their energy use. Water usage follows a comparable trend due to the energy-heavy nature of its production.
Environmental specialist Salman Zafar warned of the dire implications climate change could have for Kuwait, explaining: "Kuwait could be potentially facing serious impacts of global warming in the form of floods, droughts, depletion of aquifers, inundation of coastal areas, frequent sandstorms, loss of biodiversity, significant damage to ecosystem, threat to agricultural production and outbreak of diseases."