The UAE's federal dams captured about 72 million cubic metres of water after heavy rain in early 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) said in April 2026. The ministry put the network at 109 dams with storage of more than 90 million cubic metres.
Two storms, two counts
After the April 2024 storm, MOEI reported that its 103 dams and lakes held 40 million cubic metres, half of an 80 million cubic metre capacity. The two figures use different counts and capacities, so they cannot show whether the network is improving. In May 2024 the minister said a study of whether the dams need expanding was in preparation. No result had been reported by November 2026.
Readiness before the rains
Before the 2026 rainy season, MOEI checked 800 stormwater drains and 17 pumping stations on federal roads, inspected dam discharge gates and cleared sediment, it said on 22 October 2026.
Dubai builds, the federal plan waits
The largest flood investment is Dubai's. Its AED 30 billion Tasreef stormwater programme awarded AED 1.439 billion in April 2025, AED 2.5 billion in February 2026 and AED 3 billion on 25 October 2026, about AED 6.94 billion in total.
At federal level, the National Adaptation Plan was due for finalisation in 2025 but had not appeared on the UNFCCC's NAP Central by 2 November 2026. A January 2026 adaptation finance assessment by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is meant to inform it. The country averages 78 mm of rain a year.
How exposed coastal desalination is to warmer seas, how much emergency storage Abu Dhabi and Dubai hold, and which adaptation programmes are funded are set out in the full brief. The full report, Climate Resilience: Drought and Flood Risk in United Arab Emirates, is available for USD 249. For a free overview, see United Arab Emirates Country Snapshot.