Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Itchy eyes, coughing fits, and hazy skies are all telltale signs that a sandstorm has arrived in Abu Dhabi. To ensure its residents aren’t caught off guard, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is turning to artificial intelligence and high-performance cloud computing for real-time air quality monitoring and early warnings.
The agency operates a network of 20 fixed monitoring stations across the emirate, according to Ruqaya Mohamed, Section Head of Air Quality and Nuisance at EAD.
These stations provide real-time data on pollutants, made available to the public through an air quality portal that includes a colour-coded index (green for good, red for hazardous) and associated health advice.
The EAD is also deploying an automated state-of-the-art air quality forecasting system that predicts dust and pollutant levels up to 72 hours in advance.
While not designed for public alerts – which is a task of the National Centre for Meteorology – the system is a vital internal tool.
“The forecasting helps us make faster, informed decisions on managing air pollution,” Ruqaya told Aletihad.
Running on high-performance cloud computing, the system delivers daily forecasts for meteorological conditions, natural dust events, and anthropogenic emissions.
It also predicts the concentrations of key pollutants - such as particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxide (NOₓ), and ozone (O₃) - across the GCC and within Abu Dhabi, delivering high-resolution daily air quality index (AQI) readings.
In parallel, EAD is leveraging AI to sift through the enormous volumes of data collected from its monitoring systems.
“AI helps identify patterns, anomalies, and can even aid in data visualisation,” Ruqaya said. “Of course, human oversight is still crucial, but AI takes the drudgery out of data processing.”
Looking ahead, EAD plans to incorporate satellite data to further enhance air quality monitoring, offering faster and more expansive coverage.
Understanding the Seasonal Patterns of Sandstorms
Two weeks ago, a powerful dust storm swept across parts of the UAE, significantly affecting visibility in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Over the coming days, Abu Dhabi is expected to face fair to partly cloudy skies with increasing dust activity midweek. Temperatures will peak at 43°C early in the week before cooling to 35°C by Wednesday.
Light to moderate winds, occasionally freshening, are forecast to stir up blowing dust, particularly from Tuesday onward, with rough offshore seas and reduced visibility anticipated due to suspended sand.
Ruqaya explained that sandstorms are a natural phenomenon in this region, typically following a seasonal pattern with slight variations in intensity and frequency.
“In some years, we’ve seen increases in sandstorm activity in Abu Dhabi, and in others, slight decreases,” she said. “There’s no clear long-term trend in one direction. It really varies.”
According to Ruqaya, there are two main seasons for sandstorm in the region, one of which typically runs from May to July, driven by northwesterly Shamal winds that can carry dust from as far as Iraq and Kuwait.
The second season occurs during the winter months between December and February.
“This time of year, we expect dust storms – it’s not unusual,” Ruqaya said.
She also pointed out that not all sandstorms are imported; Abu Dhabi itself can both generate and receive dust.
“We border the Empty Quarter alongside Saudi Arabia and Oman, so the dust could originate from those areas or from within our own desert,” said Ruqaya.
In urban zones, dust can also be stirred up again – resuspended – by construction activities or previous weather events.
