The Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture inaugurates programs for the localization of knowledge and modern technologies and a number of operational projects for the National Program for Rain Enhancement

His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Center of Meteorology, Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, inaugurated today (Saturday) in Dammam the localization of knowledge, aircraft, modern technologies and a number of operational projects of the National Cloud Rain Enhancement Program, in the presence of the CEO of the National Center of Meteorology and General Supervisor of the National Cloud Rain Enhancement Program, Dr. Ayman bin Salem Ghulam, and a number of representatives of partner entities.

The ceremony held on this occasion included a review of the program's most prominent achievements since the launch of the first phase of its operations in 2022, where the latest technologies and aircraft used in rain enhancement operations, which will enter service in the coming period, were highlighted. These technologies come within the framework of enhancing the program's technical, technical and human capabilities, in order to achieve the program's goals in supporting the "Green Saudi Arabia" and "Green Middle East" initiatives in achieving a sustainable environmental future.

H.E. Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli stressed that the Knowledge Localization Program for cloud rainfall technologies aims to build and enhance internal capabilities, in addition to business sustainability, raise the level of coverage and efficiency of rain enhancement operations, reduce the costs associated with operating aircraft, and improve the outputs of the National Cloud Rain Enhancement Program to achieve results that are in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and support the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Summit towards a sustainable environmental future.

For his part, the CEO of the National Center of Meteorology and General Supervisor of the National Cloud Rain Enhancement Program, Dr. Ayman bin Salem Ghulam, explained in his speech during the ceremony that the program is not just a technical initiative, but a strategic step aimed at enhancing water security and ensuring the sustainability of our natural resources, pointing out that the program seeks to benefit from advanced global technologies to improve climatic conditions and increase the chances of rainfall, to contribute to facing the environmental challenges associated with climate change.

"Since its inception, the program has achieved significant achievements, including the first rainfall flight in April 2022, as well as the development of research studies that have enabled the optimal use of weather elements in the Kingdom, in parallel with initiatives such as Green Saudi Arabia and the Middle East Green Summit."

For his part, the Executive Director of the National Cloud Rain Enhancement Program, Ayman Al-Bar, gave an introductory presentation about the program, enumerating its tracks and the progress of its operations since its launch, in addition to the research results and the effects of cloud seeding operations on water content through satellite images and the impact of these operations on the vegetation cover in the Kingdom, and the plan and path of transferring and localizing technology and knowledge and their dimensions, concluding with the most prominent achievements achieved by the program.

The National Cloud Rain Program has completed 6 phases of its operations so far, through 444 flights and more than 1400 flight hours by 4 aircraft that sow 8753 rain flares and produced 5 billion cubic millimeters of rainfall, while the scientific research aircraft recorded more than 160 flight hours.