UAE: 2025 among hottest years on record, as nation ramps up AI use to boost rainfall
With 2025 confirmed as one of the hottest years on record globally, the UAE is ramping up its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen rain enhancement — building on years of investment in advanced weather modification technologies.At a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) announced the winners of the Sixth Cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), awarding up to $1.5 million per project over three years. This cycle places even greater emphasis on AI, from cloud seeding analysis to smart materials and land-use modelling.“Water security remains one of the most pressing global challenges,” said Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of UAEREP and Director of Research and Weather Enhancement at NCM, linking the urgency directly to rising global temperatures.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.She noted that “2025 is said to be one of the warmest years ever recorded,” adding that this “underscores the urgency of secure and sustainable water supplies” in arid regions like the UAE.With annual rainfall averaging less than 100 millimetres, high evaporation rates and limited groundwater recharge, she added, “innovative solutions are not a choice. They are a necessity.”Heat records drive stronger action Globally, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that average surface temperatures are now 1.44°C above pre-industrial levels, with the past three years — 2023, 2024 and 2025 — ranking as the warmest on record.“The year 2025 started and ended with a cooling La Niña and yet it was still one of the warmest years on record globally,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She added that accumulated greenhouse gases are driving extreme weather, “underlining the vital need for early warning systems.”For the UAE, this has meant intensifying existing AI-powered systems — not starting from scratch — to make rain enhancement more precise, measurable and effective.Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Director General of the National Center of Meteorology, said, “Since its launch in 2015, the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science has emerged as a leading global hub for scientific collaboration, bringing together top researchers and institutions from around the world to turn bold ideas into practical, sustainable solutions.Over successive cycles, it has built a world-class foundation for scientific excellence by supporting cutting-edge research and global knowledge sharing.”Rather than following trends, he explained, the programme is shaping them.“It is fostering collective innovation and building on a strong track record of success that contributes to economic growth.”Deepening AI in the clouds Among the three new UAEREP awardees, two projects particularly further embed artificial intelligence into the UAE’s rain enhancement strategy.Dr Dixon Michael, a radar meteorologist from the US, will apply AI to refine how cloud seeding impacts are assessed. His project builds on current UAE practices by moving beyond traditional reflectivity-based storm tracking to study cloud microphysics and rainfall outcomes using machine learning.The work will also strengthen local technical capacity at NCM, enabling Emirati scientists to sustain and evolve these systems.Meanwhile, Prof Linda Zou of Victoria University, Australia, will develop advanced nanocomposite materials as ice nucleation agents, using AI-powered analytics to optimise their performance. Her project includes deploying a Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE) cloud chamber at NCM and conducting hands-on training workshops.The third awardee, Dr Oliver Branch of the University of Hohenheim, Germany, will explore how modifying land cover and landforms could help trigger rainfall — a complementary approach to cloud-based interventions.UAE researches AI use in cloud seeding for precise rain enhancement$500b Stargate project, first tech-driven legal system: UAE's top 10 AI milestones in 2025
With 2025 confirmed as one of the hottest years on record globally, the UAE is ramping up its use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen rain enhancement — building on years of investment in advanced weather modification technologies.
At a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) announced the winners of the Sixth Cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), awarding up to $1.5 million per project over three years. This cycle places even greater emphasis on AI, from cloud seeding analysis to smart materials and land-use modelling.
“Water security remains one of the most pressing global challenges,” said Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of UAEREP and Director of Research and Weather Enhancement at NCM, linking the urgency directly to rising global temperatures.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
She noted that “2025 is said to be one of the warmest years ever recorded,” adding that this “underscores the urgency of secure and sustainable water supplies” in arid regions like the UAE.
With annual rainfall averaging less than 100 millimetres, high evaporation rates and limited groundwater recharge, she added, “innovative solutions are not a choice. They are a necessity.”
Heat records drive stronger action
Globally, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that average surface temperatures are now 1.44°C above pre-industrial levels, with the past three years — 2023, 2024 and 2025 — ranking as the warmest on record.
“The year 2025 started and ended with a cooling La Niña and yet it was still one of the warmest years on record globally,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She added that accumulated greenhouse gases are driving extreme weather, “underlining the vital need for early warning systems.”
For the UAE, this has meant intensifying existing AI-powered systems — not starting from scratch — to make rain enhancement more precise, measurable and effective.
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Director General of the National Center of Meteorology, said, “Since its launch in 2015, the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science has emerged as a leading global hub for scientific collaboration, bringing together top researchers and institutions from around the world to turn bold ideas into practical, sustainable solutions.
Over successive cycles, it has built a world-class foundation for scientific excellence by supporting cutting-edge research and global knowledge sharing.”
Rather than following trends, he explained, the programme is shaping them.
“It is fostering collective innovation and building on a strong track record of success that contributes to economic growth.”
Deepening AI in the clouds
Among the three new UAEREP awardees, two projects particularly further embed artificial intelligence into the UAE’s rain enhancement strategy.
Dr Dixon Michael, a radar meteorologist from the US, will apply AI to refine how cloud seeding impacts are assessed. His project builds on current UAE practices by moving beyond traditional reflectivity-based storm tracking to study cloud microphysics and rainfall outcomes using machine learning.
The work will also strengthen local technical capacity at NCM, enabling Emirati scientists to sustain and evolve these systems.
Meanwhile, Prof Linda Zou of Victoria University, Australia, will develop advanced nanocomposite materials as ice nucleation agents, using AI-powered analytics to optimise their performance. Her project includes deploying a Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE) cloud chamber at NCM and conducting hands-on training workshops.
The third awardee, Dr Oliver Branch of the University of Hohenheim, Germany, will explore how modifying land cover and landforms could help trigger rainfall — a complementary approach to cloud-based interventions.
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