[aeroman]

The idea is pretty similar, in that the aim to to create cloud droplets large enough that precipitation forms in those clouds (hygroscopic cloud seeding). This is a little different from glaciogenic cloud seeding, where you aim to generate ice in a supercooled cloud (which has historically has been more common).

Glaciogenic seeding typically uses something like silver iodide (to nucleate ice crystals). For the clouds over the UAE (which are not supercooled), table salt would be more likely to be used. This idea is that it can create cloud droplets that are large enough to begin the collision-coalesence process.

[dole]

Curious how saline that rain would end up being, detrimental to plant life, considerable corrosion for metals/cars/etc.

[Mvhsz]

Just guessing but I can't imagine they use as much salt as northern cities put on the road when it snows (dump trucks worth of salt). There's information for that at my local extension office [1]. The TL;DR is that plants don't love it, but they tolerate it. Grasses are especially tolerant.

[1] https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/impact-of-road-salt-...