Dubai completes region’s first smart waterway mapping project

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has completed the Middle East’s first pilot project using mobile mapping technology to survey waterways and canals, in yet another step in the emirate’s efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure and smart city systems.

The project used the Leica TRK mobile mapping system mounted on a specially equipped vessel to capture high-precision geospatial data across Dubai Water Canal in Al Jaddaf.

The initiative supports Dubai’s expanding geospatial ecosystem, which plays a growing role in infrastructure management, urban planning and digital governance by providing continuously updated spatial data and advanced 3D modelling capabilities.

The pilot phase involved detailed surveying works and the development of highly accurate three-dimensional models in cooperation with specialised partners, opening wider opportunities for using geospatial datasets to support future urban projects and improve infrastructure efficiency.

Eng. Maitha Alnuaimi, Director of the GIS Centre Department at Dubai Municipality, said the initiative is part of ongoing efforts to build an integrated geospatial database that supports Dubai’s Digital Twin project and strengthens data-driven decision-making across government entities.

She added that the project enhances Dubai’s readiness as a smart and future-focused city while improving the sustainability and efficiency of urban management systems.

Dubai Municipality said it is continuing to expand surveying operations across waterways in the emirate in coordination with relevant authorities as part of preparations for the next operational phase and the wider deployment of the project’s outputs.