Gulf states lead the Middle East and North Africa in disaster resilience, while Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine lag behind the global average in preparedness, financial security and public confidence in government, according to a new international survey.
The study, published in October 2026, draws on more than 143,000 interviews conducted by Gallup for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation across 140 countries and territories in 2025. It examines how well individuals, households and communities can withstand disasters, prepare for emergencies and recover when major disruptions occur.
Kuwait recorded the region’s highest disaster resilience score, with 74 points, followed by Bahrain with 72. Oman and the United Arab Emirates each scored 70, well above the global average of 57. The results highlight a significant divide between Gulf countries and parts of the Levant, where respondents reported lower confidence in government preparedness and greater concerns about their ability to cope with emergencies.
Public confidence in disaster management was particularly strong in the UAE and Bahrain. In the UAE, 87% of respondents said their government was well prepared for disasters, the second-highest proportion among the 133 countries included in the resilience index. Bahrain followed closely, with 82% expressing confidence in their government’s readiness.
The findings were markedly different in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine, which recorded resilience scores of 48, 49 and 52, respectively. Lebanon stood out for its low level of confidence in government preparedness. Just 14% of respondents said the government was well prepared for disasters, while only 39% of people affected by a disaster said they had received an advance warning. Globally, 80% of disaster-affected respondents reported receiving a warning before the event.
The survey also revealed deep dissatisfaction with government support. Some 59% of respondents in Iraq and 56% in Lebanon said their governments did not care about them at all. The global average for this response was 29%, placing both countries well above the international figure.
Financial vulnerability adds to the risks facing households across the region. More than half of respondents in Iraq, Jordan and Palestine said they would be unable to meet their basic needs for a month if their income disappeared. The finding points to limited financial buffers for many families facing job losses, emergencies or other sudden disruptions.
Lebanon also recorded high levels of concern about everyday safety and public health. Some 71% of respondents said they were worried that drinking water could seriously harm their health, placing the country fifth worldwide on that measure. Concern about violent crime was even more widespread, with 90% expressing worry, the sixth-highest proportion among the countries surveyed.
North Africa showed a different trend, recording the largest regional improvement in disaster resilience since 2023. Its score rose by five points, the biggest increase among the regions covered by the study. The report linked progress in Algeria and Egypt to wider internet access, better household preparedness and stronger financial capacity to absorb crises.
Despite the region’s exposure to extreme heat, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE were among the countries where respondents expressed the least concern about heatwaves and drought. In Israel, fewer than 1% of respondents reported being affected by a disaster during the period covered by the survey.
The regional findings form part of a wider global picture in which exposure to disasters and the ability to respond remain unevenly distributed. An estimated 1.1 billion adults worldwide experienced a disaster in the five years preceding the survey, and nearly 220 million said they had received no advance warning.
Income levels were closely associated with differences in disaster exposure and preparedness. Around one-third of adults in low-income countries reported experiencing a disaster during the previous five years, compared with 16% in high-income countries. Among those affected, 64% in low-income countries received advance warnings, compared with 84% in high-income nations.
Receiving a warning did not always lead to preventive action. Fewer than half of those warned in low-income and lower-middle-income countries took steps to protect themselves, compared with 71% in wealthier countries. The findings suggest that access to information alone may not be enough when people lack the resources or practical means to respond.
The number of channels used to deliver warnings also appeared to influence behaviour. Among people who received an alert through a single channel, 37% took preventive action. That share increased to 51% among those reached through two channels and 64% among those who received warnings through three, such as text messages, television and social media.
Mobile phone access could offer an important route to reaching people who remain outside existing warning systems. Of the roughly 220 million adults who experienced a disaster without an advance warning, 77% owned a mobile phone, equivalent to more than 170 million people.
The findings point to differences that extend beyond a country’s ability to respond once a disaster strikes. Public trust, household finances, access to reliable warnings and the capacity to act on them all shape how well communities can withstand emergencies. The strong scores recorded by Gulf states contrast with the greater financial insecurity and lower institutional confidence reported in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine, while the global figures show that gaps in warning systems and preparedness remain a challenge across income groups.
