As Saudi Arabia battles a growing water crisis, the kingdom is expanding its cloud-seeding program to help boost rainfall in its arid regions. Deputy Environment Minister Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha outlined the country’s plans to expand the program during an interview at the UN General Assembly. The initiative, which involves artificially inducing rain, is seen as one way to combat the nation’s water shortages and desertification.
Saudi Arabia began cloud seeding in the early 2000s, but early results were not promising. However, new developments in artificial intelligence and meteorology have given researchers a better understanding of the conditions needed to make the process more effective. “We are a hyper arid country,” Faqeeha said. “We have to try everything possible.”
Cloud seeding is a controversial practice that involves injecting substances into clouds to lower their temperature and cause rain to fall. Although some countries, including the United States, have used cloud seeding to address water shortages, critics remain concerned about the long-term environmental impacts. The effects of manipulating weather patterns are not fully understood, and some warn that cloud seeding could lead to unforeseen ecological problems.
Saudi Arabia is pushing forward with the program as part of its broader efforts to combat desertification. Riyadh will host the COP16 summit in December, where global leaders will gather to discuss strategies for addressing land degradation. Faqeeha emphasized that cloud seeding is just one of several solutions Saudi Arabia is exploring to secure its water future.
Despite the controversy, Saudi Arabia plans to continue expanding its cloud-seeding efforts and position itself as a leader in regional research on the practice. The kingdom’s efforts may pave the way for other Middle Eastern nations to follow suit as they face similar environmental challenges.
