JEDDAH — The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has accredited the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center and granted it full membership in the Global Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) Steering Committee, as a representative of the regional unit of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

CEO of the Saudi National Center of Meteorology (NCM) and Supervisor of the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center Dr. Ayman Ghulam said that this comes in recognition of the Kingdom's regional and international efforts in the field of weather, climate.

It also recognizes the Kingdom’s support for the SDS-WAS, under the umbrella of WMO, which aims at enabling and enriching collaborative research on dust and sand phenomena to reduce their risks.

Dr. Ghulam added that the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center is an outcome of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit hosted by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman, whose goal is to increase efforts to support the environment, climate and sustainability in the region and the world.

The Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center aims to protect the environment from natural hazards by monitoring dust and sand phenomena in the Kingdom, and giving early warning about storms, for people to take preventive measures and mitigate their impacts, in accordance with WMO standards. — SPA