UAE wins presidency of World Meteorological Organisation

UAE wins presidency of World Meteorological Organisation

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has won the presidency of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which functions as an authoritative body on weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental fields within the UN system. Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, director general of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in the UAE, has been elected as the new President of WMO for a four-year term from 2023 to 2027. Dr Al Mandous, who is also the UAE’s Permanent Representative to WMO and President of WMO’s Regional Association II (Asia), contested the election as the official candidate of the UAE. This is the first time that a GCC meteorologist and an Arab meteorologist from Asia has been named as the president of WMO. Dr Abdulla Al Mandous was elected by the representatives of WMO’s 193 Member States and Territories who have convened in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the 19th session of the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-19), the supreme body of WMO held from May 22 to June 2. Dr Abdulla Al Mandous secured 98 votes, whereas his contestant Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia received 51 votes. Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous will succeed the German meteorologist and