Director of Energy and Climate Mitigation Strategies

Dr. Youssef Wehbe is the Chief Science Officer for the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science at the National Center of Meteorology. He spearheads the monitoring and evaluation process for international research and technology development programs and seed funds ($30M+), while overseeing intellectual property management and techno-economic assessments for transitioning research outcomes toward operational testing and integration. Dr. Wehbe also serves as an Engineering Duty Officer in the US Navy Reserve and is a member of several international advisory boards for climate- and water-related initiatives.

Dr. Wehbe led and contributed to atmospheric science field and airborne campaigns under the NASA Airborne Science Program and authored 50+ peer-reviewed studies on next-generation water resource monitoring by integrating satellite and radar remote sensing, hydro-meteorological modeling, and relevant applications of AI/machine learning tools. His areas of expertise include water resource management, coupled land-atmosphere modeling, cloud microphysics, and weather modification technology.

Dr. Wehbe holds a B.E. in Civil Engineering from Notre Dame University, a M.S. in Water and Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Masdar Institute Collaborative Program, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Khalifa University.

Areas of Expertise:

• Hydro-Meteorological Research

• Weather Modification Technology

• AI/ML Applications for Earth Observation