Sharjah24 - WAM: Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, visited the headquarters of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) in Abu Dhabi, where he was welcomed by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) and President of the Regional Association II (Asia), along with senior officials and department directors from NCM.
During the visit, the two sides discussed ways of enhancing collaboration to fulfill the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to empower youth in various fields.
During the visit, the Minister was briefed on NCM’s efforts to educate students about the importance of meteorology and earn a bachelor’s degree in meteorology through offering scholarships both outside and inside the country in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Polytechnic.
The Minister also attended a presentation on NCM and its state-of-the-art infrastructure. One of the most advanced in the Middle East, NCM comprises more than 100 surface weather stations and 9 radars. The centre collects meteorological data from 5 satellites, 7 air quality monitoring stations, an ozone layer thickness measurement station, an upper atmosphere monitoring station, 21 seismic monitoring stations, and four aircrafts used in cloud seeding operations.
Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous accompanied the minister on his tour of NCM headquarters and its various departments and sections including the operations centre for general forecasts, marine forecasts, and rain enhancement applications. The tour also included a visit to the recently opened Scientific Dome, a global first-of-its kind installation to visualise real-time and simulated weather data.
Al Hammadi said, "NCM has become a leading national organisation by staying on the path of excellence in its area of expertise. Through providing accurate data, the Centre has played a crucial role in helping decision makers and promoting sustainable development in vital sectors."
Al Hammadi also thanked H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his support of this important national entity that comprises the best talents, and latest technologies and research capabilities in weather monitoring, forecasting, analysis, warning, climate improvement and rain enhancement research.
He also reiterated the Ministry's commitment to collaborating with NCM in promoting scientific research involving higher education institutions to support the UAE's Designing the Next 50' project. He added that the collaboration between the Ministry and NCM will support curriculum development through providing vital data on weather related disciplines and encouraging students to pursue higher education in this field.
For his part, Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, said, "Thanks to the unlimited support extended by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, NCM has developed a highly qualified talent pool in meteorology that possesses relevant knowledge and research tools in the field.
"NCM has emerged as a focal point in many research areas related to meteorology, such as rain enhancement science owing to the Centre’s focus on creativity, innovation and international partnerships in scientific research. This will help the country pursue its ambitious development objectives and position itself at the forefront of developed countries across the entire spectrum of scientific disciplines," Al Mandous added.
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