Climbing New Heights in Weather Research: Saudi Arabia’s Regional Cloud Seeding Program Takes Flight
The first research and weather modification flight took off as part of the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, this initiative aims to collect atmospheric data from various altitudes using modern technology and specialized sensors for measuring weather elements.
Aymen Barr, the executive director of the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, explained that the research and weather modification aircraft’s mission is to focus on research, it is responsible for gathering meteorological data, such as temperatures, wind speeds, and measurements of cloud-forming water particles.
This data is valuable for scientific research before and after cloud seeding operations, Barr added that the aircraft is equipped with the latest technologies and research devices in the fields of climate and weather.
The Regional Cloud Seeding Program accommodates four aircraft for cloud seeding operations and the research and climate aircraft, the inaugural flight, which began recently, is part of the program’s efforts to improve cloud seeding coverage, build internal capabilities, sustain operations, transfer and localize knowledge, and reduce operating costs.
The task of research and climate aircraft doesn’t end with just coverage, through a scientific team affiliated with the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, research data is analyzed to understand and comprehend the characteristics of clouds in the region and determine the optimal methods for cloud seeding, this analysis ensures the enhancement of cloud seeding operations’ quality and efficiency, ultimately increasing rainfall.
It’s worth noting that on May 11, 2023, Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, the Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Meteorology, signed an agreement to purchase five aircraft for the Regional Cloud Seeding Program. Four of these aircraft are equipped for cloud seeding operations, while one is dedicated to research and weather studies.
With this move, Saudi Arabia became the second country in the world to own this type of research aircraft, aiming to enhance environmental resource sustainability and utilize renewable water sources.
