UAE awards scientists $1.5m each to make rain using AI, nano-particles, and landscape reshaping

Dubai: The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has chosen three winning projects to receive major funding, with each team getting up to $1.5 million( (Dh 5.511 million), over the next three years. The National Center of Meteorology in Abu Dhabi announced the grants today, continuing the country's push to tackle water scarcity through innovative science.

Three very different approaches won funding, each attacking the rainfall challenge from a unique angle. Dr. Dixon Michael from Colorado will use artificial intelligence and dual-polarization radar to figure out exactly what happens inside clouds when they're seeded. His work promises to replace guesswork with hard data, showing scientists precisely which seeding methods actually work and why.

Professor Linda Zou from Australia is developing entirely new cloud seeding materials using nanotechnology. Her team will create advanced particles specifically engineered to form ice crystals in clouds more effectively than current materials. AI will help optimise these particles, and she'll install specialized testing equipment at the meteorology center while training UAE scientists to use it.

The most unconventional project comes from Dr. Oliver Branch in Germany, who wants to modify the land itself to trigger rain. His research will test whether reshaping terrain and changing ground cover in strategic locations could naturally create the atmospheric conditions needed for rainfall. If successful, this could offer a permanent solution beyond temporary cloud seeding.

Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, who leads both the World Meteorological Organization and the National Center of Meteorology, said the program demonstrates how the UAE backs scientific innovation with real resources. The meteorology center provides winners with advanced infrastructure and technical expertise that most researchers couldn't access elsewhere.

The competition was intense. When applications opened in January 2025, 140 research teams submitted proposals. Only 16 made it past the initial screening to submit full proposals, and just three ultimately won funding. Each winner receives up to $550,000 annually, giving them the financial runway to pursue ambitious multi-year studies.

Alya Al Mazrouei, who runs the research program, explained that winning teams gain access to far more than money. They connect with global networks of scientists, tap into years of UAE research data, and get hands-on support that helps turn theoretical research into practical technology that actually addresses water security challenges.