Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable progress in cloud seeding, as part of its efforts to find more water resources, combat desertification, and promote sustainable development.
Since its launch in 2022, the Saudi Regional Cloud Seeding Program has played a pivotal role in expanding green spaces in the Kingdom, by utilizing the latest technologies to enhance rainfall over certain regions, with a focus on Makkah and the Holy Sites.
Cloud Seeding
Cloud seeding is a technique that boosts the quantity and quality of certain types of clouds to stimulate and accelerate rainfall in pre-determined areas. The process has been used since the 1940s, according to New Scientist.
It involves using planes or rockets to spray clouds with non-harmful materials to the environment. These materials can be also burnt from ground-based stations. As a result, droplets of supercooled water form around these particles, and then fall to the ground in the form of rain or snow.
The materials used to seed clouds vary according to temperature conditions. They include solid carbon dioxide, silver iodide or dry ice, used at low temperatures, and calcium chloride particles used at higher temperatures to form condensation nuclei.
Regional Cloud Seeding Program
In April 2022, Saudi Arabia launched the first phase of the Regional Program for Cloud Seeding that targeted the Regions of Riyadh, Al Qassim and Hail. The program was one of the outcomes of the Middle East Green Initiative Summit, announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2021, in line with the ambitious Vision 2030.
The objectives of the Regional Program for Cloud Seeding include increasing rainfall levels, finding new water sources, enhancing afforestation efforts, and combating desertification.
The Program harnesses modern techniques to seed clouds via aircraft, drones and ground-based generators. Under ideal conditions, rainfall from a single cloud can increase by up to 20%.
Promising Results
The Cloud Seeding Program has made major strides towards achieving its goals. Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the executive director of the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, Ayman Al-Bar, said that the Program targeted 6 Saudi regions in 2023, with 415 cloud seeding flights.
By using 4 aircrafts, they seeded 7876 flares over 1312 hours and 45 minutes. Meanwhile, a separate aircraft conducted 36 research flights over 111 hours and 26 minutes, he explained.
Al-Bar added that the Program has completed 4 phases covering most Saudi regions, while work is underway for the fifth phase. “Cloud seeding technology increases the quantity and quality of rain for certain types of clouds, to exploit their properties and stimulate and accelerate the rainfall process in pre-determined areas,” he noted.
Impressive Progress
Highlighting the Cloud Seeding Program’s achievements, the spokesperson for the National Center of Meteorology, Hussein bin Mohammed Al-Qahtani, pointed out that the total rainfall in 2023 was estimated at 4 billion cubic millimeters.
“The Cloud Seeding Program initiative looks forward to enhance rainfall, find new water sources, expand afforestation and reduce desertification,” he said. Moreover, he underlined the Meteorology Center’s efforts to localize cadres in this field, with 18 Saudi pilots joining the Program.
Utilizing Modern Technology
Al-Qahtani noted that the cloud seeding process utilizes modern technologies, via aircrafts, drones and ground-based generators. He also highlighted the Kingdom’s journey in cloud seeding to increase rainfall and achieve environmental sustainability.
In 2004, Saudi Arabia partnered with Weather Modification Inc. (WMI), under the scientific oversight of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), to undertake cloud seeding experiments in Aseer Region and conduct feasibility study.
In 2006-2007, it partnered with WMI to conduct a 6-month cloud seeding experiment across the central Regions of Riyadh, Al Qassim and Hail. In 2009, it partnered with WMI to undertake a similar project by using 10 specialized aircrafts, with the participation of leading Saudi scientists.
Saudi Green Goals
Launched in March 2021 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Green Initiative aims to achieve three main targets: to help the Kingdom achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, support its green transformation, and protect land and sea.
To this end, the Saudi Green Initiative has launched more than 80 initiatives to reduce emissions, enhance afforestation efforts and protect biodiversity. These include investing in new energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, as well as developing a program for carbon capture and storage.
Furthermore, the Kingdom aims to plant 10 billion trees, and rehabilitate 74 million hectares of degraded land. This will help in restoring ecological functions, improving air quality, reducing sandstorm, preserving biodiversity, and combating desertification.
Hence, the National Afforestation Program, launched in 2023, has planted 43.9 million trees and restored 94,000 hectares of land. Additionally, there are more than 40 projects underway, all of which aim to plant over 600 million trees and rehabilitate 8 million hectares of land by 2030.
