RIYADH — Hussain Al-Qahtani, spokesman of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) confirmed that they cannot definitively link the recent rains that occurred in Saudi Arabia's regions to the cloud seeding. Al-Qahtani made these remarks during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya after being asked about the reason for the increase in rain. He added that the cloud seeding is currently in its second phase, which includes the southern and western regions of the Kingdom He said that specialists and the relevant operating rooms are giving indications about the results of the amount of rain resulting from cloud seeding. "We cannot now confirm the effect of the cloud seeding process as the reason for the recent rains, but it is normal that the seeding process' role is to increase rainfall in these areas that have been targeted by this process," Al-Qahtani added. It is noteworthy that the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has announced in August the start of the second phase of the cloud seeding operation program in the southwestern regions of Saudi Arabia. The cloud seeding program is one of the outcomes of the Green Middle East Summit announced by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman last year, in accordance with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. It is also an initiative of NCM to integrate with national initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development, preserving the environment and searching for ways to develop resources. Cloud seeding is a method used to induce more rain from a cloud by shooting a salt flare into the cloud. Salt naturally attracts water, the water particles then collide with others, get bigger and hopefully fall as rain. Cloud seeding technology increases the quantity and quality of precipitation for certain types of clouds, in order to exploit their characteristics and stimulate and speed up the process of precipitation in predetermined areas. The Kingdom, through the program, will enhance and contribute to an adjustment of its weather by increasing the rainfall from the current rate, which does not exceed 100 mm annually. The artificial seeding program is being done due to the fact that Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the driest countries in the world, as well as to the fact that it does not contain permanent water bodies such as rivers and lakes.
