On March 2–3, 2024, in Riyadh, the Regional Center for Sand and Dust Storm Warning organized a workshop titled “Capacity Building for Sand and Dust Storm Analysis and Modelling” just ahead of the First International Conference on Sand and Dust Storms. The workshop aimed to strengthen human capabilities and skills in monitoring, analyzing, and modeling sand and dust storms, thereby improving forecasting and early warning capabilities. 

 

Delivered in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization WMO and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA, and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the event brought together 36 representatives from WMO, ESCWA, and various Arab countries. Participants engaged in a series of sessions that covered the latest techniques in dust observation—including remote sensing and geospatial analysis—advanced forecasting and modeling, and the assessment of the socio-economic impacts of these events. 

 

The scientific content and effective organization of the workshop were praised by attendees. In their closing remarks, both ESCWA and WMO commended the initiative and recommended that such capacity building events be held regularly to further strengthen regional preparedness and response to sand and dust storms.