Saudi Arabia is expanding its cloud-seeding program to boost rainfall in its arid regions, according to Deputy Environment Minister Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Faqeeha said recent advances in AI, meteorology, and remote sensing have improved the program, which initially struggled in the early 2000s.

The initiative aims to increase water supply and combat desertification, though cloud-seeding remains controversial due to concerns about its environmental impact, Semafor has reported.

Saudi Arabia will also host the COP16 summit on desertification in December to address global land degradation issues.

Written by B.C. Begley