Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) signed on Sunday two technical cooperation memoranda of understanding on the establishment of climate change and early dust storm warning centers
Signed at the University’s campus in Thuwal (north of Jeddah), the first MoU aims to support the establishment of a National Climate Change Center. It will become the primary climate change center in Saudi Arabia and the region.
The second agreement covers the establishment of a regional Dust Storms Early Warning and Advisory Center, a project in which KAUST University will assist the NCM in developing and evaluating the latest systems for the early detection of dust storms.
The Meteorological Center aims to develop cutting-edge tools and benefit from the latest research to help Saudi Arabia mitigate the negative effects of climate change by providing the needed information to ensure that it is prepared to respond effectively. While the agreement stresses the importance of the National Climate Change Center’s role in analyzing and predicting climate change for the benefit of the Kingdom, it will also benefit Gulf Cooperation Council countries by providing systematic warnings of storms at the regional level.
The signing ceremony was attended by the minister of the environment, water and agriculture and the chairman of the board of directors of the NCM, Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli and President of KAUST, Dr. Tony Chan. KAUST Vice President for Research Dr. Donal Bradley, signed the agreement on behalf of the University, while the NCM was represented by its CEO, Dr. Ayman Ghulam.
Al-Fadhli stressed that Saudi Arabia would play a leading role in preserving the environment and the climate by adopting relevant strategies and legislation.
Chan explained that the agreements are a prelude to support the establishment of two research centers that will become the cornerstone of Saudi efforts to adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change in the region.
