Three scientists secured grants of up to $1.5 million on Wednesday to support the UAE's efforts to boost cloud seeding and water security.
The winners of the sixth cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, run by the National Centre of Meteorology, were selected from 140 research proposals from 48 countries.
Each recipient will receive a grant of up to $1.5 million, distributed over three years, with a maximum annual amount of $550,000.
Dr Michael Dixon, principal radar meteorologist at Echo Science Works in Boulder, Colorado; Linda Zou, adjunct professor at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University in Australia; and Dr Oliver Branch, senior scientist and head coordinator of the Land Atmosphere Feedback Observatory, Institute of Physics and Meteorology at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, will use the funds to carry out their three-year research projects, which will include work in the Emirates.
'Home for rain enhancement'
The UAE launched a cloud seeding programme decades ago to try to address water security by wringing more moisture out the sky. It then established the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science in 2015 to further drive solutions to water security.
At the announcement in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Abdulla Al Mandous, director general of the NCM, said it was important to note the rise of artificial intelligence in rain enhancement.
“We are developing the next generation of solutions to make rain enhancement more efficient and sustainable than ever before,” he said. “We are turning our vision into reality by making the UAE the global home for rain enhancement.”
Dr Dixon’s project seeks to improve how cloud seeding is evaluated by building on radar systems so forecasters can observe detailed microphysical changes in clouds when seeding occurs. The system will add features such as advanced storm tracking, while AI will be integrated to help select the best storms for seeding. It will also include training for Emirati scientists.
Prof Zou’s project is aimed at creating a new generation of cloud seeding agents – which attract water droplets – using advanced nanocomposites such as graphene that are potentially better than traditional materials such as silver iodide and are safer for the environment. AI-powered analysis will guide the design of these materials. This will also include knowledge transfer to the UAE.
Dr Branch’s project explores how rain enhancement could be boosted by deliberately changing land cover or shape, such as by engineering sand dunes to steer winds and create local updrafts, setting the stage for rain. It is envisaged this work will include deeper partnerships with the NCM and Khalifa University.
What are the challenges?
Water security is an urgent global challenge, especially in the Middle East. With only about 100 millimetres of rainfall a year, the UAE relies heavily on desalinated water.
The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will take place in the Emirates this December.
Cloud seeding in particular has been integral to the UAE's drive to increase rainfall, and is seen as important in improving agriculture and securing reliable water supplies.
Planes are sent to “seed” clouds when a suitable one appears, typically using salt that spurs the formation of water droplets, which may then fall as rain. The NCM said the aim is to enhance rainfall, not create it. Hundreds of these flights occur annually in the UAE.
NCM experts previously said seeding could increase rainfall by about 30 per cent in a clean atmosphere, and by 15 per cent in a dusty atmosphere, but it is complex and more research is needed. The NCM has also said it does not attempt to approach storm clouds.
Alya Al Mazrouei, director of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, said the Emirates' support for the sector is aimed at ensuring water stability in the region.
“Water security remains one of the most pressing global challenges, especially in light of accelerating climate change,” she said. “According to the World Meteorological Organisation … 2025 is set to be one of the warmest years ever recorded, capping the hottest 11-year stretch in history.
“For arid and semi-arid regions like ours, this reality underscores the urgency of securing sustainable water supplies amid rising populations and increasing environmental pressures.”
Ms Al Mazrouei said the UAE – a country with typically less than 100mm of rainfall a year, high evaporation rates and limited groundwater recharge – is taking steps to address this, and these grants are part of this effort.
“Our programme plays a vital role in reducing reliance on traditional water sources and strengthening resilience against climate change impacts, positioning the UAE as a leader in scientific innovation for water sustainability,” she said.
Since it was established in 2015, the programme has awarded almost $25 million in research and development funds, secured 10 patents and supported projects that have advanced rain enhancement science around the world.
