The United Arab Emirates's (UAE) Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science
Since 2015, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science , managed by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), has been offering managed grant assistance to select teams of researchers. The grants amount to up to US$ 1.5, Million distributed over three years with a maximum annual amount of $550K for each winning research proposal. A new cycle for proposals is launched every two years. So far, 14 grants have been awarded over 5 cycles, the due date for submitting project proposals for the current 6th cycle is 8 August.
With the world population nearing eight billion, the United Nations predicts that almost half of the world's population would be faced with high water stress by 2030. In addition, global population is projected to increase over the coming decades mostly in developing countries that are mainly located in the Global South where there is already severe pressure on limited supplies of potable water.
For arid and semi-arid regions, rain enhancement offers a viable, cost-effective supplement to existing water supplies. Recent technological developments suggest rain enhancement could offer an important supplement to existing sources of groundwater and desalinated water. Given the scale of the challenge posed by rising populations and diminishing resources, there is an urgent need for new technologies and solutions to address this urgent challenge. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science is leading the way in promoting innovation for the benefit of future generations facing water scarcity.
The UAE's rain enhancement operations were initiated in 1990, through cooperation with organizations such as the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, USA, and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 2005, the UAE launched the "UAE Prize for Excellence" in Advancing the Science and Practice of Weather Modification in collaboration with WMO. Although the competition was held only once, it laid the foundation for future initiatives. In 2015, the prize evolved into the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), an International research initiative launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
UAEREP's Sixth Cycle was officially launched during the 7th International Rain Enhancement Forum (IREF), held from 28 to 30 January. The current cycle focuses on five key research thrust areas: Optimized Seeding Materials, Novel Cloud Formation and/or Rain Enhancement Systems, Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Limited-Area Climate Interventions, and Advanced Models, Software, and Data.
From a total of 140 submissions received during the pre-proposal review phase, the program's International Technical Review Committee has shortlisted 16 innovative pre-proposals. They were selected based on their alignment with the program's core research areas, scientific excellence, potential impact, the expertise of proposers, and the extent of multidisciplinary collaboration. Researchers whose pre-proposals have been shortlisted are now invited to submit full proposals by 28 August. The final grant recipients will be announced in January 2026, following a second stage of rigorous, merit-based review.
