GIS Centre in Dubai is sole official body

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has issued a law proclaiming the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Centre at Dubai Municipality as the sole official body relating to GIS in the emirate of Dubai.

According to Article Two of Law No. 6 for 2001, the GIS Centre will be the only official source for collecting data – both digital and descriptive – from local government departments, public authorities, establishments, individuals and companies operating in Dubai.

The centre, as such, will be responsible for protecting, maintaining and classifying the data and for stating the technical guidelines for its interaction with the various public and private sector bodies.

It will also be the only official source for providing the geographical data to any person or organisation wishing to utilise it.

The information being supplied by the centre includes aerial photographs, satellite pictures, three-dimensional digital models, topographical information, civic planning data, building legislation and information on addresses, road network, drainage and irrigation network, electricity and water connections, telephone lines and other public services and utilities.

Article Three of the law stipulates that government and private establishments are required to provide accurate and detailed information as needed by the GIS Centre, whether it is already available to them or is being developed by them.

Article Four of the law states that while public and private sector bodies retain ownership of the information supplied by them, the technical product created by the GIS Centre from it will be owned by the municipality.

Article Five exempts photographs or drawings of work and projects related to the security and defence needs of the Armed Forces from provisions of the law.

According to Article Six, anyone who uses the GIS Centre's information for any other purpose than what it was designated for, or makes any changes or additions to it, or sells, distributes or prints it without permission, will be punished by imprisonment and a fine of Dh30,000 or either of the two.

The culprit will also be made to bear the cost of damages arising from such an act and the amount will be forwarded to the civic body's treasury.

Article Seven entrusts the Director General of Dubai Municipality to issue the necessary bylaws for implementing this law. The new law annuls an order issued on July 26, 1997, proclaiming the Survey Section of Dubai Municipality as the source of geographical and surveying information in Dubai.