Saudi throws its support behind cloud-seeding technology – ZAWYA

Saudi throws its support behind cloud-seeding technology – ZAWYA

It came as no surprise when the Saudi Cabinet recently approved a cloud-seeding program that aims to increase rainfall in the Kingdom by almost 20 percent.. Since a three-day downpour caused flooding in parts of the UAE in November last year, there has been a lot of speculation in the region as to whether cloud seeding was responsible for the unusually heavy rain.. "Saudi Arabia's groundwater resources have suffered from over-abstraction due to high demand for different uses, which makes cloud seeding one of the first possible options to enhance groundwater recharge for sustainable use," he told Arab News.. The technology will not seek to create clouds; instead, it will aim to increase rainfall by providing cloud-condensation nuclei.. Saudi Arabia's decision to explore cloud seeding is a no-brainer: With an average rainfall of about 59 mm a year, it is one of the world's driest countries.. The rest of the Kingdom's water demand is met mostly through desalination of almost 2.7 billion cubic meters of seawater each year.. Rain induced by cloud seeding is much cheaper than desalinated water.. According to Saudi authorities, it was way back in 1976 that the country began studying cloud seeding in partnership with the