Hydrological Assessment of the “Madar 22” Weather Event: Implications for Water Resources Management in Saudi Arabia

A rare and intense tropical weather event, named “Madar 22” affected large areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf countries during July and August 2022. This study aims to assess the hydrological impacts of the event on both surface and groundwater resources, and its implications for water resources management in the Kingdom. Also, one of the specific objectives of the present study is to estimate both runoff and potential groundwater recharge coefficients during “Madar 22” weather event across all regions of Saudi Arabia. Utilizing rainfall data from the MEWA hydrological network and ArcGIS-based spatial analysis, the event was found to deliver extreme precipitation equivalent to a 10-year return period for a 3-hour storm. The event generated a total rainfall volume of 20.6 billion cubic meters, of which 1.058 billion cubic meters was estimated as surface runoff. This led to the harvesting of 294 million cubic meters in 189 dam reservoirs and recharged an estimated 239 million cubic meters of groundwater, as indicated by water table rises in 65 shallow wells. The present study concluded that the mean precipitation depth recorded in August 2022 is substantially higher than the long-term monthly average, illustrating a clear trend toward intensified late-summer rainfall. The findings of the present study show critical implications for renewable water resource management in arid and semi-arid regions. They emphasize the need to integrate extreme weather events into flood risk assessments, dam operation protocols, and groundwater recharge strategies to enhance national climate resilience.