As the Middle East and North Africa dry up, countries in these regions have raced to develop chemicals and techniques they hope will trigger rain from clouds.
Wealthy countries like the United Arab Emirates have invested several hundred million dollars in cloud seeding, prompting other countries to join the initiative despite questions about whether the technique generates enough rain to justify the expense.
Demand for water in the United Arab Emirates has increased over the past 60 years as a result of population expansion.
The country's officials sought alternatives to clean water for expensive desalination plants, which require a tremendous amount of energy to operate.
Scientists claim that the technology to be used to boost rainfall could help it fall by 25 percent more on an annual basis.
They clarify that the goal is not intended to be achieved simply by taking planes into the sky to inject chemical particles into the clouds.
Instead, scientists will use a weather modification technique based on clouds that use moisture-absorbing materials.
"These materials, such as salt, sodium chloride and potassium, are sent by airplanes to the clouds, which will begin to activate the condensation process, where the water vapor in the clouds begins to collect these materials", explained the experts.