The concentration of cosmogenic radionuclide Be-7 and the naturally occurring radionuclide Rn-222 and its progenies Pb-210, (210)po, an Pb-214 were measured in the ground surface air in the urban area of the northern Arabian Gulf close to Kuwait Bay. A high-volume air sampler connected with a five-stage cascade impactor was used to collect approximately 1800 cubic meter weekly for a period of one year. The concentrations of Pb-210 and Po-210 varied from 0.35 to 1.65 mBq m(-3) and from 0.23 to 3.2 mBq m(-3), respectively; the Po-210/(210)pb activity ratio was close to one. The average concentration of Be-7 was 6.24 mBq m(-3), ranging from 3 to 10 mBq m(-3). The temporal variations of Pb-210, (210)po and Be-7 showed maximum concentrations of Po-210 and Be-7 in occurred summer months. The observed excess of Po-210 concentrations can be attributed to the local and long-range transport of suspended dust with Pb-210 and Po-210 in radioactive equilibrium state, oil industry emissions, local resuspended dust and the sea-saltaerosols from the Arabian Gulf. The range of the residence time estimation using the Rn-222/(210)pb and Pb-214/Pb-210 activity ratio methods ranged from three to five days. Moreover, the estimated residence time by the application of Be-7 from the activity median aerodynamic diameter method was 4.2 days. The method of using the Po-210/(210)pb activity ratio was invalid because of the excess Po-210 sources of anthropogenic origin. Therefore, extensive accurate diurnal measurements of Pb-214 and Rn-222 can be applied in hot arid regions for better aerosols residence time estimation. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.