Saudi Arabia, like a growing proportion of the world, has a cooling problem. Air conditioning is estimated to consume half of the Kingdom's electricity demand — an unsustainable level for an urbanizing country, even one that is energy rich. 

In response, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are conceiving new passive cooling solutions that use no electricity and instead manipulate water and light. These new technologies are cooling urban spaces for people to spend more time outdoors, greenhouses for higher crop yields, and buildings for lower energy costs.    

Rising temperatures are a global problem. 2025 saw the United Arab Emirates reach its highest recorded temperature ever in May at 51.6 C. Weeks later, thousands of people died in Europe because of heatwaves, with the United Kingdom having its hottest summer on record. And less rain and a record hot summer in Japan have contributed to the price of rice – the main staple of that nation's diet – doubling from last year.    

These unprecedented climate conditions are putting enormous stress on electricity grids all over the world, and it will only get worse. The International Energy Agency expects electricity consumption from air conditioning to increase 3-6 times by 2050. 

These energy demands will be hard to meet, posing risks not only to people's health, but also food security due to the inability to grow crops in controlled climates and the generation of sustainable energy, since solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources still depend on electronics that will break down in hotter temperatures.   

Using a mixture of nanotechnology and reflective materials, water evaporation and heat transfer, and advanced sensors and supercomputing, KAUST is developing a number of technologies for passive cooling that will allow cities and nations to grow sustainably. 

Read more at KAUST News.