The UAE has shortlisted top global research proposals for its Rain Enhancement Programme, offering $1.5m in funding to advance water security.
ABU DHABI: The UAE is advancing its leadership in water security innovation with the shortlisting of cutting-edge research proposals for the Sixth Cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP). Managed by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), the initiative will award up to $1.5 million (AED5.511 million) in grants per project to drive new breakthroughs in cloud seeding and rainfall enhancement.
Following a rigorous evaluation process by UAEREP’s International Technical Review Committee in early October 2025, proposals were selected from a pool of 13 full submissions involving 58 researchers from 38 institutions across nine countries.
Institutions submitting proposals included prestigious global and regional universities such as Columbia University, ETH Zurich, Kyoto University, Khalifa University, and MBZUAI, alongside major scientific agencies like NOAA, NCAR, and the Chinese Weather Modification Centre. Final awardees will be announced in January 2026.
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director-General of NCM and President of the World Meteorological Organisation, emphasised the programme’s role in climate resilience. “UAEREP has earned global recognition for fostering innovation to combat global water scarcity,” he said, reaffirming the UAE’s position as a world leader in rain-enhancement science.
The shortlisted proposals align with UAEREP’s five strategic priorities: advanced seeding materials, cloud formation systems, autonomous aerial platforms, limited-area climate interventions, and high-performance modelling and software tools. Each project may receive up to $550,000 annually over three years.
The Sixth Cycle builds on the success of previous rounds, with UAEREP now a globally respected platform that nurtures scientific collaboration and sustainable water solutions across borders.
