Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined countries around the world in celebrating World Meteorological Day 2025, reaffirming their commitment to realize early warnings for all countries by 2027, in line with the World Meteorological Organization‘s targets.
Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, director-general of the National Center of Meteorology, president of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), affirmed that this year’s World Meteorological Day theme, “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together,” reflects a growing global commitment to strengthening early warning capabilities—especially in the face of increasing extreme weather events and their devastating impact on lives and livelihoods.
He noted that the theme draws inspiration from the landmark announcement made by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on World Meteorological Day in 2022, when he declared that the United Nations would lead new efforts to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years.
Early Warnings for All initiative expands to 108 countries
Dr. Al Mandous explained that the Early Warnings for All initiative is progressing steadily toward its 2027 goal. Significant progress has been achieved since its launch, with the number of countries possessing multi-hazard early warning capabilities increasing from 52 in 2015 to 108 by the end of 2024.
Despite these advances, he emphasized that important gaps remain and called for enhanced global cooperation to address them—particularly through increased support for vulnerable countries, improved technical capacities and closer coordination among all stakeholders.
He stressed that investing in early warning systems is not only a moral imperative, but also an economically sound decision. Studies show that for every $1 invested in early warning, there is a return of $9 in economic benefits, making it one of the most effective tools for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Dr. Al Mandous concluded his statement by reaffirming WMO’s commitment, together with its United Nations partners, to achieving the vision of Early Warnings for All. He stated that this year’s World Meteorological Day theme places a shared responsibility on the global community to build a more secure and resilient future.
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Saudi Arabia to invest in weather monitoring technologies
For his part, Ayman Ghulam, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology (NCM), said the World Meteorological Day celebration is taking place while the world is experiencing a marked increase in extreme weather events due to rapid climate changes. These changes necessitate enhancing monitoring, warning and preparedness capabilities and improving meteorological systems.
He underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to developing its national weather monitoring and alert infrastructure, investing in the latest technologies to serve people and the environment.
Ghulam stated that Saudi Arabia is among the first countries in the region to establish a comprehensive automated early warning system launched by the NCM 14 years ago. This system, the first of its kind in the Arab world, has issued thousands of early warnings since its inception, saving lives and reducing damage from severe weather events.
The center has also made significant strides in strengthening the early warning system through integration with relevant agencies, enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasts and raising public awareness about weather and climate risks. These efforts align with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to protect lives and property while achieving sustainable development.
