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How the UAE Makes It Rain: Inside the Country’s High-Tech Cloud Seeding Program

From aircraft flares to AI, the UAE uses cutting-edge science to boost rainfall in one of the world’s driest regions.

  • Publish date: since 6 hours Reading time: two min read
How the UAE Makes It Rain: Inside the Country’s High-Tech Cloud Seeding Program

Rain is falling over the UAE, and behind every drop is some serious science. Dubai woke up to showers this morning, and a weather alert predicts more rain across the country this week. But this isn’t just luck — it’s the work of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) and one of the world’s most advanced cloud seeding programs.

What Cloud Seeding Actually Does

Clouds don’t always rain on their own. Tiny droplets need help to grow heavy enough to fall. That’s where cloud seeding comes in. By adding special particles like salt crystals or nanomaterials, scientists give water vapor something to cling to, helping droplets combine and fall as rain. In the UAE’s dry climate, many clouds would otherwise just pass by.

How the UAE Makes It Rain

The NCM constantly monitors the skies with radars, satellites, ground stations, and 26 live cameras. When a promising cloud appears:

  • Aircraft go up: Pilots fly into clouds and release hygroscopic flares containing salt, magnesium, and potassium compounds.

  • Flares in action: During a typical three-hour flight, up to 48 flares are burned inside several clouds to speed up rainfall.

Other high-tech methods include:

  • Ground-based generators (GBGs): Towers in mountainous areas that release seeding materials into low clouds.

  • Nanomaterials: Advanced powders up to three times more effective than traditional flares.

  • Electric charging: Sending a charge into clouds to encourage droplet formation.

  • AI-powered targeting: Artificial intelligence analyzes cloud data to pick the perfect seeding moment.

Is It Working?

The UAE aims to boost rainfall by 10% to 25%, a huge impact in one of the driest parts of the world. Since the start of 2025, NCM has completed 172 cloud seeding flights, maximizing every rain-producing cloud.

Why It Matters

Last winter brought below-average rainfall, highlighting the importance of water security. With growing demand and climate change, cloud seeding is not just about cooler weather — it’s about ensuring enough water for the future.

Next time it rains in the desert, remember: it wasn’t just luck — it was science at work.

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