Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia emits more CO₂ per capita than United Arab Emirates by about ~0.2 tCO₂e/person/year (about 1% higher). Globally, Saudi Arabia ranks around #1 and United Arab Emirates around #2 by CO₂ per capita. Both can be compared to the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~4.7 tCO₂e/year
Asia median: ~~6.7 tCO₂e/year
Consumption-based CO₂ per capita
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~6.5 tCO₂e/year
Asia median: ~~7.5 tCO₂e/year
Electricity carbon intensity
Lower is betterWorld median: ~~345 gCO₂/kWh
Asia median: ~~561 gCO₂/kWh
Renewable electricity share
Higher is betterWorld median: ~~34%
Asia median: ~~16%
Key takeaways
Saudi Arabia has lower consumption-based emissions and slightly lower renewable share while United Arab Emirates has slightly higher consumption-based emissions and a higher renewable share and similar per-capita emissions.
Quick comparison
Saudi Arabia has higher per-capita emissions (~20.4 tCO₂e/person/year) than United Arab Emirates (~20.1 tCO₂e/person/year). The difference is about ~0.2 tCO₂e/person/year, or about 1% higher.
In the global ranking by CO₂ per capita, Saudi Arabia stands around #1 and United Arab Emirates around #2.
Saudi Arabia is above the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 329% above.
United Arab Emirates is above the global median (~4.7 tCO₂e/person), about 324% above.
Within Asia, Saudi Arabia sits above the regional median (~6.7 tCO₂e/person).
Within Asia, United Arab Emirates sits above the regional median (~6.7 tCO₂e/person).
Why the numbers can differ
GDP per capita often correlates with energy use: higher incomes tend to mean more transport, heating, and consumption. The relationship is not fixed—policy, energy mix, and urban design can decouple emissions from economic activity.
Urbanization affects transport patterns and building energy use. Denser cities can support public transit and district heating; sprawl tends to increase car dependency and per-capita emissions.
Electricity carbon intensity and the share of renewables in the power mix influence how much emissions drop when transport and heating electrify. Cleaner grids amplify the benefit of electric vehicles and heat pumps.
How to interpret per-capita vs total
Per-capita emissions divide a country's total CO₂ output by its population. That lets us compare nations fairly regardless of size. A large country with high total emissions can still have low per-person emissions if its population is very large. Total emissions matter for the global climate, but per-capita figures help us understand lifestyle and policy differences between countries.
What would move the gap
Targeted actions depend on each country's starting point. Levers that can narrow or reverse the gap include:
- Switching to renewable electricity and heat pumps for heating
- Phasing out coal and fossil gas in power generation
- Expanding public transit and active mobility
- Cutting down on air travel and long-haul freight
- Improving industrial process efficiency
- Improving building insulation and energy efficiency
- Increasing renewable share in electricity generation
- Electrifying industrial heating and process heat
- Reducing food waste along the supply chain
- Reducing car use and choosing electric vehicles
Data sources
- CO₂ per capita, territorial emissions: OWID (2024, 2024)
- Electricity carbon intensity: OWID / Ember (latest available)
- Renewables share of electricity: OWID / Ember (latest available)
- Ember: electricity mix, carbon intensity
Related comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which country has higher CO2 per capita: Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates?
Saudi Arabia has higher per-capita emissions (~20.4 tCO₂e/person/year) than United Arab Emirates (~20.1 tCO₂e/person/year).
How do per-capita emissions differ from total emissions?
Per-capita emissions divide total national emissions by population, allowing fair comparison across countries of different sizes. Total emissions matter for global impact; per-capita figures help compare lifestyle and policy.
How does Saudi Arabia compare to the global median?
About 329% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
How does United Arab Emirates compare to the global median?
About 324% above the global median of ~4.7 tCO₂e per person.
Does this include consumption-based emissions?
The main figure is territorial (production-based). We also show consumption-based CO₂ per capita when available, which counts emissions embedded in imported goods.
How often is this data updated?
Data comes from Our World in Data, World Bank, and Ember. Coverage and latest year vary by metric.