More rains in UAE: How AI boosts rainfall through advanced cloud-seeding technology

The UAE has been conducting hundreds of cloud-seeding to boost rainfall and address water scarcity. Now, the Emirates is harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance these efforts further and increase rainfall.

The country has invested heavily in technologies to secure its water supply, yielding an annual minimum increase of 15 per cent in rainfall.

On Tuesday, top officials at the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in Abu Dhabi explained that AI is crucial in optimising cloud-seeding operations and improving decision-making for more efficient and targeted rainfall enhancement.

Omar Al Yazeedi, deputy director general of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), said, "The life span of clouds is very short, so if you have multiple clouds, AI can help the forecasters choose the optimum locations by identifying certain parameters. Now, the operations are manual. So, by using AI, the operator will be able to look at certain aspects of the clouds and decide, as AI will guide them, where to go and see."

Yazeedi emphasised that by using AI algorithms, meteorologists analyse vast amounts of weather data in real time, enabling them to predict the best times and locations for cloud seeding.

AI enhances the accuracy of weather models, providing valuable insights into cloud formation and behaviour, which increases the chances of successful rainfall induction.

Drones equipped with sensors and AI capabilities are also part of this strategy. They can release seeding materials directly into clouds with more precision than traditional methods.

"AI helps if you have drones; if you have many aircraft, then you need AI to enhance the operations, get the maximum out of each cloud, and identify the best location for cloud seeding. It helps you identify which are the best locations to do the operations," he added.

The country's cloud seeding efforts have produced a usable water supply ranging from 84 to 419 million cubic meters.

This amount is a notable portion of the approximately 6.7 billion cubic meters of rainfall received annually in the UAE, with the cloud seeding operations amounting to approximately Dh29,000 ($8,000) for every flight hour.

Alya Al Mazroui, director of the UAEREP, explained that the UAE's remarkable technological and scientific advancements continue to gain global recognition due to their significant potential for wider applications in countries facing similar water scarcity challenges.

She said, "As the programme approaches its tenth anniversary of conducting pioneering research and advanced technology demonstrations, we affirm our commitment to the UAE's strategic objective in water security, scientific research, advanced science, innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"Through the support of the NCM, the programme ensures data sharing, expertise and facilities that strengthen the research teams' capabilities. The programme also actively promotes innovation and interdisciplinary research in rain enhancement and weather modification, incorporating AI, drones, nanotechnology, and laser technology advancements. We use nanotechnology to develop novel seeding materials."

Another innovative project, conducted in collaboration with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUI), uses AI to identify cloud microphysical seedability in an actionable manner.

The UAE conducts over 900 hours of cloud-seeding missions on average every year, and the government makes substantial investments in research and technology.

The programme also works closely with principal investigators to transition research outcomes into scalable and commercial applications.

Meanwhile, as the UAE advances toward AI systems, experts noted that pilotless seeding, though on the horizon, still needs further development to interpret complex weather patterns with the same accuracy as human pilots.

"Currently, it's difficult to replace a pilot because you need the sensibilities of a pilot to manoeuvre the aircraft and confirm what the forecaster sees on the ground. So, we need the relationship between the pilot, the forecaster and the cloud seeding operator to identify and confirm the location and proceed with the seeding operation. So, pilotless seeding is also a part of enhancing the capabilities that we have in mind while improving the research in terms of AI, drones and other technologies," Yazeedi.