I tried to look around for a better source than the Daily Mail, especially on something scientific in nature. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find anything I could vouch for as authoritative. However I did notice the images in this page referenced many times in other sites:

http://www.indiashines.com/Balgates-photos-95294-dubai-artif...

If anyone knows of a better source or can find information about it on the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology website:

http://www.das.ae/

I'd be most grateful.

Here you go

Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/uniteda...

HuffPo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/03/abu-dhabi-rainstorm...

Arabian Business: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/abu-dhabi-backed-scientists-c...

LiveScience: http://www.livescience.com/environment/rain-makers-ionizatio...

Blog Post: http://globalwarming-arclein.blogspot.com/2011/01/ionizers-b...

Company: http://www.meteo-systems.com

Wow, a lot more sources than I was expecting. Thank you very much for providing this!

The Russians used similar tactics to ensure the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster wouldn't reach Moscow:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1549366/How-we-mad...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3943013.stm

The Chinese also used cloud seeding to clear the smog-filled skies over Beijing for the Olympics.

>silver iodide and dry ice are the most commonly used substances in cloud seeding technology (down-cased for your reading pleasure)

uh, how much silver iodide? All of it eventually goes down a drain, and back into the water supply.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyria

This happens in the US as well. China and India do it although using different techniques. But I'm wary of using chemicals/technology to induce rainfall (I'm no scientist but is the water safe then?). Also imagine the resource wars that will start once countries start using this regularly.

The last comment on man-made earthquakes is actually already here: man-made 3.1 in Switzerland:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/geothermal_powe.php

Very cool. It'd be great if they could also build a system to actually scatter rainclouds. Northern European weather would become a bit more bearable.

Maybe a giant frickin' laser beam? It could prevent them from condensing.

... and soon there were no more great worms and the spice stopped to flow.

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

It's probably causing floods elsewhere, unless clouds obey international boundaries.