Around 87% of residents in the United Arab Emirates believe their government is well prepared to deal with disasters, compared with just 14% of respondents in Lebanon, highlighting a significant divide in public confidence across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a new international survey.
The worldwide risk poll, conducted by Gallup for the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, is based on more than 143,000 interviews across 140 countries and territories in 2025. It examines how individuals, households and communities prepare for major emergencies, withstand disruption and recover from disasters.
Among the countries covered in the regional data, Kuwait recorded a resilience score of 74 points, followed by Bahrain at 72. Oman and the UAE each scored 70, well above the global average of 57.
Confidence in government preparedness was particularly high in the Gulf. The UAE ranked second among 133 countries included in the resilience index, with 87% of respondents saying their government was prepared for disasters. Bahrain recorded 82%.
The findings were markedly different in parts of the Levant. Lebanon scored 48 on the resilience index, while Iraq recorded 49 and Palestine 52. In Lebanon, only 39% of people affected by a disaster said they had received an advance warning, compared with 80% globally.
Public perceptions of government support were also low. Around 59% of Iraqi respondents and 56% of Lebanese respondents said their governments did not care about them at all, against a global average of 29%.
Financial insecurity emerged as another concern. More than half of households in Iraq, Jordan and Palestine said they would be unable to meet basic needs for a month if they lost their income.
Lebanon also recorded high levels of concern about personal safety and health. Some 71% of respondents worried that drinking water could seriously harm their health, placing the country fifth globally on this measure. Around 90% expressed concern about violent crime, the sixth-highest proportion worldwide.
North Africa Shows Improvement
North Africa recorded the largest regional improvement in disaster resilience, with its index score rising by five points since 2023. The report linked progress in Algeria and Egypt to wider internet access, improved household preparedness and stronger financial capacity to cope with emergencies.
Despite high temperatures across the region, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE were among the countries whose residents expressed relatively low concern about heatwaves and drought. In Israel, fewer than 1% of the population had been affected by a disaster during the period covered by the survey.
Globally, approximately 1.1 billion adults experienced a disaster in the five years preceding the poll. Nearly 220 million received no advance warning.
The survey found a substantial gap between income groups. About one-third of adults in low-income countries reported experiencing a disaster, compared with 16% in high-income countries. Among those affected, 64% in low-income countries received advance warnings, against 84% in wealthier nations.
Warnings were more effective when delivered through multiple channels. Some 37% of people alerted through one channel took preventive action, rising to 51% when two channels were used and 64% when three were used.
Of those who experienced disasters without advance warning, 77% owned a mobile phone, representing more than 170 million people worldwide. The findings point to the potential role of mobile technology in improving emergency alerts and helping communities prepare for future disasters.
