National Center of Meteorology

What National Center of Meteorology does

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) is a federal government authority of the United Arab Emirates, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, responsible for the country's national meteorological, seismological, and rain enhancement operations. NCM provides 24/7 public weather forecasting, severe weather alerting, aviation weather services through its dedicated avmet.ae portal, marine forecasting for the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea via the Al Bahar platform, and seismic monitoring with tsunami early warning. The organization also manages the National Air Quality Platform, the UAE Polar Observatory, and the Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) platform. Its core operational technology stack includes a national network of seven Doppler radars and more than 100 automatic weather monitoring stations, a fleet of four specialized aircraft conducting cloud seeding operations (the Istimrar program), and the 'Atmosphere' high-performance computing system that supports AI and machine learning-driven weather prediction and storm analysis.

NCM operates the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), which awards multi-year research grants of up to US$1.5 million to international researchers advancing cloud seeding, dual-polarization radar analysis, and rain enhancement science. Recent research milestones include a 2026 breakthrough on laser-induced water vapor condensation as a chemical-free alternative to traditional silver iodide seeding. As a government entity funded through the federal budget rather than commercial revenue, NCM provides public-facing weather services and alerts free of charge; the cloud seeding program produces water at an estimated $0.01–$0.04 per cubic meter, substantially cheaper than desalination. NCM's Director General, Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, holds the World Meteorological Organization presidency for the 2023–2027 term, anchoring the UAE's international meteorological leadership and supporting bilateral cooperation agreements such as the 2026 partnership with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Water Resources.

Name

National Center of Meteorology

Legal name

المركز الوطني للأرصاد (National Center of Meteorology)

Website

https://ncm.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Center of Meteorology is a UAE federal authority providing 24/7 weather forecasting, seismic monitoring, cloud seeding operations, and tsunami early warning services to UAE residents, the aviation and marine sectors, and international research partners through a national radar and weather station network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meteorological and Seismic Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Weather forecasting services
• Cloud seeding operations
• Seismic monitoring services
• Rain enhancement research
• Meteorological early warnings

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NCM is the UAE federal authority delivering national meteorological, seismological, and rain enhancement services. It provides public weather forecasts and color-coded hazard alerts, runs the operational Istimmar cloud seeding program using a fleet of four aircraft to enhance rainfall by 10–25%, monitors seismic activity and issues tsunami early warnings through the National Seismic Network, and operates specialized aviation and marine forecast portals. It also manages the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), which funds international research grants up to US$1.5 million per project.

Product overview

The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) is a federal authority providing comprehensive meteorology, seismology, and climate services for the UAE. The core offerings include weather forecasting and alerts (public and specialist platforms), cloud seeding operations for rain enhancement, and seismic monitoring with tsunami early warning capabilities. The NCM operates critical infrastructure including a network of over 100 automatic weather stations and seven Doppler radars. Key platforms include Ghaith for specialist mapping services, Al Bahar for marine weather, and AVMet for aviation forecasts. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) funds international research into water security. The center also maintains the National Air Quality Platform, Polar Observatory, and Early Warning for All platform, representing a multi-faceted approach to environmental monitoring and climate resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weather Forecasting Services General weather forecasting services including daily weather bulletins, climate reports, and public weather maps covering the UAE territory. Available to UAE residents and visitors via the official NCM website.
• Cloud Seeding Operations (Istimmar Program) Rain enhancement operations targeting convective clouds using a fleet of four specialized aircraft, deploying silver iodide particles to induce rainfall. Operations deliver a 10–25% rainfall increase under optimal conditions at a cost of $0.01–$0.04 per cubic meter of water produced.
• Seismic Monitoring and Earthquake Tracking National Seismic Network monitoring earthquakes with real-time data from seismic observatory stations, providing earthquake alerts and supporting tsunami early warning functions.
• Tsunami Early Warning Center Dedicated center for tsunami detection and early warning, operated as part of NCM's seismic department responsibilities for the protection of UAE coastal populations and infrastructure.
• Aviation Weather Services Specialized weather forecasting services for aviation including airport weather stations and a dedicated aviation forecast section serving airports and airlines operating in the UAE.
• Marine Weather Services (Al Bahar) Maritime weather forecasting and bulletin services covering Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea conditions, including tropical cyclone tracking.
• UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) International research funding program managed by NCM offering grants of up to US$1.5 million over three years to researchers worldwide working on cloud seeding, rain enhancement, and water security solutions.
• National Air Quality Platform Air quality monitoring and reporting platform providing real-time air quality index data across the UAE for public health and environmental monitoring.
• UAE Polar Observatory Polar research observatory dedicated to climate and atmospheric research in polar regions, supporting climate science and atmospheric study activities.
• Early Warning for All Platform (EW4ALL) Comprehensive early warning system platform providing alerts for various weather and natural hazard events to protect lives and infrastructure.
• Weather Alerts and Warnings System Color-coded alert system (red, orange, yellow) for various weather hazards including fog, rain, dust storms, and extreme temperatures, distributed through mobile alerts, police traffic alerts, and media partnerships.
• Ghaith Maps Platform Professional maps platform providing advanced weather data visualization and forecasting tools for specialist users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cloud seeding increases rainfall by 10-25% under optimal conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kazakhstan Ministry of Water Resources and IrrigationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2026Bilateral cooperation agreement to establish joint working group and develop two-year roadmap for cooperation in water management areas including digitalization, desalination, groundwater development, and joint scientific research. Both countries face similar water conservation and distribution challenges.
• International Researchers (Dr. Dickson Miguel, Dr. Linda Zhou, Dr. Oliver Branch)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2026Sixth cycle awardees of UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science grants. Projects focus on dual-polarization radar analysis, AI-optimized cloud seeding materials, and land-cover modification techniques for rainfall enhancement.
• UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaged by NCM, this program awards research grants for rain enhancement science. Awardees receive up to US$1.5 million over three years for projects in dual-polarization radar, AI-optimized cloud seeding materials, and land-cover-driven rainfall enhancement.
• Technology Innovation Institute (Abu Dhabi)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration on laser-induced water vapor condensation technology for chemical-free cloud seeding alternative. The project received $1.5 million research grant from UAEREP for development of mobile high-power pulsed laser prototype.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous serves as President of WMO for 2023-2027 term, representing the UAE in international meteorology and climate cooperation since 2008.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NOAA (National Weather Service): U.S. national meteorological authority operating the National Weather Service, public forecasting, severe-weather alerts, and hurricane center — the closest global analogue to NCM in mandate and operational scope, though far larger and serving a more diverse climate.
• UK Met Office: UK's national meteorological service providing forecasting, climate research, and supercomputer-based modeling. Comparable as a national authority with HPC-driven forecasting and research arms, similar to NCM's Atmosphere HPC and UAEREP.
• China Meteorological Administration: National meteorological authority operating one of the world's largest weather modification (cloud-seeding) programs alongside public forecasting — the most direct functional peer to NCM's cloud-seeding mandate at much greater scale.

Regional players

• Saudi Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (NCM Saudi): Saudi Arabia's national meteorological and environmental authority — a direct regional peer operating an analogous weather-modification program and serving a similar Gulf climate and aviation/marine customer base.
• MeteoGroup / MeteoSwiss: European national/regional meteorological services (MeteoSwiss, MeteoFrance, etc.) providing public and specialist forecasting including aviation. Comparable to NCM's public forecast, aviation, and marine service lines in a different geography.

Direct peers

• DTN: Commercial provider of weather, climate, and agricultural intelligence including aviation, marine, and energy verticals — directly comparable to NCM's aviation/marine forecast services and professional Ghaith maps platform.
• The Weather Company (IBM): One of the largest commercial weather forecasting and data-platform companies, offering aviation, marine, and enterprise forecasting. Comparable in service breadth to NCM's aviation (AVMet), marine (Al Bahar), and specialist (Ghaith) platforms.
• AccuWeather: Global commercial weather forecasting brand serving consumer, enterprise, and media segments — comparable to NCM's public-facing weather forecasting, alerts, and mobile applications, though purely commercial versus NCM's sovereign mandate.
• Weather Modification Inc. Commercial cloud-seeding operator providing aircraft-based seeding services globally — directly comparable to NCM's Istimrar cloud-seeding operations and fleet of four specialized aircraft.

Emerging players

• ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts): Intergovernmental organization producing global numerical weather prediction — directly comparable to NCM's numerical-prediction and Atmosphere HPC activities, though operating at much larger scale and as a multi-country consortium.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCMUAE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/UAEWeather
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncmuae
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialuaeweather
• TikToktiktok.com/@ncmuae

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Center of Meteorology