Monsoon-loving Indian expats chase rain in UAE desert

Indian expat in UAE chases elusive rain in the desert, using high-tech tools to forecast and enjoy monsoon nostalgia.

After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala's monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert.

Using satellite imagery, weather data and other high-tech tools, the amateur meteorologist tracks potential rainfall spots across the desert country and, along with other Indians nostalgic for the monsoon season, chases the clouds in search of rain.

"When I came to UAE in 2015, in August, it... was peak monsoon time" in Kerala, the 35-year-old estate agent told AFP, adding that he had struggled to adjust to the change of climate.

"So I started to search about the rainy condition in UAE and I came to know that there is rain happening in UAE during peak summer," he said, adding: "I started to explore the possibility to chase the rain, enjoy the rain."

Each week, he forecasts when and where rain might fall and posts a suggested rendezvous to the 130,000 followers of his "UAE Weatherman" page on Instagram.

He regularly posts footage of his rain expeditions out into the desert, hoping to bring together "all rain lovers who miss rain".

Last weekend, he headed out into the desert from Sharjah at the head of a convoy of about 100 vehicles.