DUBAI Dubai residents have started receiving their Makani number from Dubai Municipality (DM) as part of the civic body’s new addressing system in the city.
Makani, an Arabic word which means ‘my location’ or ‘my place’, uses a ten-digit number linked to a GPS coordinate. A Makani application is also available on Android phones, iPhones and Google Play and uses the UAE National Grid for a more accurate navigation system around the city. Under the Makani system, every building, house and public place in Dubai will have a unique number to help people identify their location.
Meanwhile, residents in New Dubai hailed the Municipality’s initiative, saying they were delighted to get their exclusive number. “Somebody showed up at my door and gave me my number. He said it’s a unique number for every house and building in Dubai and that it will help people, especially delivery boys and courier companies, to pick my location easily,” Egyptian expatriate Eiten Zeerban told XPRESS.
“I think it is a great initiative but unfortunately not many people are aware of it yet. I myself learnt about this new concept only after I got my dedicated number. I have not used it anywhere so far since people may not know about Makani,” she added.
A Meadows resident, Greg Smith, said: “It’s a next generation addressing system. The Makani system will be better than the GPS as it will pick up a location according to its coordinates.”
