Cloud Seeding Program in the Kingdom

The Cloud Seeding Program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a technology that aims to stimulate rainfall of some types of clouds by changing some of their physical features and increasing the rates and quality of rainfall over some pre-specified regions. This program aims at increasing rainfall in the Kingdom by 20 percent. The Council of Ministers approved the program on February 11, 2020, with its execution being supervised by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.

Special aircraft plant stimulating and eco-friendly materials in specific spots in the clouds to stimulate rainfall over targeted regions as a part of the Cloud Seeding Program. This helps reduce the area of desertification in the Kingdom, find a new resource of water, and increase forestation areas.

An operation room was established in the National Center of Meteorology in the capital, Riyadh, to monitor clouds for seeding and execute the cloud seeding program. After launching the program's operational processes, the first batch of cloud seeding flights was initiated over Riyadh, Hail, and Qassim provinces on April 27, 2022. Cloud seeding experiments predated this date by about eighteen years.

The program's operation room is working according to a specific timetable within the operational work-frame. The operation room is equipped with meteorological techniques and accurate radars in cooperation with international experts in cloud seeding and technical and logistic support.

The execution of the Cloud Seeding Program in the Kingdom aims to relieve pressure on water resources. This pressure results from the growth of energy, transport, agriculture, and mining sectors, the increase in population, and the rising demand for water. The program reduces drought by finding modern water resources, achieving environmental sustainability, enhancing environmental performance, preparing natural and environmental resources, and developing vegetation cover.

The Kingdom's first cloud seeding experiment took place in 2004, in cooperation with 'WMI' company, to conduct cloud seeding experiments in Aseer Province and study the experiment's feasibility. In 2006-2007, an agreement with 'WMI' was signed to conduct cloud seeding experiments for six months in Riyadh, Hail, and Qassim provinces. In 2009, ten specially equipped aircraft from the same company were involved in the program's execution in cooperation with Saudi scientists specialized in the field.