As part of its efforts to strengthen water security and maximise the benefits of favourable weather conditions, the Sultanate of Oman has invested in artificial rain enhancement technology through a network of 14 stations distributed across several governorates.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the programme relies on environmentally friendly ionic technology and contributes to enhancing rainfall efficiency by up to 13.6 per cent. Unlike some conventional weather modification techniques, the system does not use harmful chemicals and is designed to work with naturally occurring cloud formations.
Providing insight into the programme, Khalid bin Salim al Hooti, Director of the Artificial Rain Enhancement Centre, said the stations help increase rainfall rates across areas within their coverage range, which extends up to 75 kilometres in length and 30 kilometres in width depending on geographical location and surrounding terrain.
Al Hooti explained that Oman’s artificial rain enhancement journey began more than a decade ago, with the first two stations established in 2012 and activated in 2013. Located at Jabal Al Sarah in Ibri and Hail Al Roos in Al Jabal Akhdhar, the initial stations laid the foundation for a wider network that now extends across several mountainous regions of the Sultanate of Oman.
Today, the stations are distributed across multiple governorates, including Al Batinah North, Al Dakhiliyah, Al Sharqiyah North, Dhofar, Muscat, Al Dhahirah and Musandam. The system operates by generating negatively charged ions that are carried upward by air currents into cloud growth layers. Water droplets within the clouds gather around these ions, increasing in size until they become heavy enough to fall as rain.
Importantly, Al Hooti stressed that the technology does not create clouds, alter their movement or influence wind speed and direction. It is also not used during severe weather events, making it a safe and environmentally compatible tool for enhancing rainfall opportunities.
Khalid al Johari, meteorologist and lecturer, noted that cloud seeding is a recognised scientific technique used in several countries to enhance precipitation. “Cloud seeding through introducing specific nuclei into convective clouds to help enhance rainfall is a recognised scientific technique. However, dispersing tropical cyclones or altering their paths is not possible,” he said.
Public awareness of the technology has also grown in recent years.
Eithar al Shibli, a social media activist, highlighted the environmental safety of the system, noting that it does not rely on chemicals but instead depends on generating ions from ionic emitters and releasing them into the atmosphere.
While the technology cannot create clouds or control the weather, it helps increase rainfall from suitable cloud systems, supporting Oman’s efforts to strengthen its water resources.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
