Abu Dhabi — The Strategic Directions Committee of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science has completed a midterm site visit to Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, assessing progress on its Cycle 5 project “Identification of Clouds’ Microphysical Seedability in an Actionable Manner.”
Led by Prof. Daniel Rosenfeld of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the initiative is executed in partnership with the National Centre of Meteorology, MBZUAI, Wuhan University in China and the University of California, San Diego. The project aims to produce a real-time, data-driven system that determines which convective cloud clusters are “seedable,” guiding decisions about where and when cloud seeding may be effective.
During the visit, the research team showcased its first customised WRF-SBM cloud-scale simulation over the UAE, run on NCM’s “Atmosphere” supercomputer. This model feeds into the development of an AI-powered Seedability Guidance Tool, a decision support engine in collaboration with UCSD. Researchers at MBZUAI also demonstrated enhancements to Meteosat geostationary imagery via super-resolution techniques, improving the detection and characterization of candidate clouds. Meanwhile, Wuhan University has developed satellite software to automate sampling and visualisation of microphysical cloud parameters essential for seedability assessments.
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of NCM and President of the World Meteorological Organization, emphasised that the project underscores the UAE’s push to anchor rain enhancement research in international cooperation. He stated that bringing leading institutions into one framework “accelerates development of sustainable solutions to global water security challenges” and strengthens the UAE’s role in weather-science diplomacy.
Alya Al Mazroui, Director of UAEREP, asserted that the integration of artificial intelligence, advanced modelling, and validated simulations marks a “transformative step” in rain enhancement science. She described the envisioned system as a near-real-time decision support tool for cloud systems, building on knowledge accumulated across prior UAEREP cycles.
The UAEREP programme, launched in 2015 under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offers multimillion-dollar support for interdisciplinary research in precipitation enhancement. Among its objectives are advancing scientific understanding of rainfall augmentation, supporting operational practices, and capacity building. The programme’s past cycles supported cloud seeding experiments, nanomaterials research, and modelling of cloud microphysics.
Cloud seeding is operational in the UAE as a measure to mitigate water scarcity in the arid Gulf region. The country deploys aircraft and drones equipped with hygroscopic flares and electric charge emission systems to trigger precipitation in appropriate clouds. Prior assessments suggest such interventions may enhance rainfall by up to 30–35% in ideal conditions, though quantification in more humid atmospheres remains uncertain.
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