Dubai municipality completes mapping project

Dubai: The Dubai Municipality now has a database of integrated and detailed geographical information about the emirate with the completion of its Dubai Map and 360° Panorama projects.

The projects have made digital orthophotos covering 1,319 square kilometres available for the first time with the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Department of the municipality, said Abdul Hakim Malek, director of the GIS department.

“The Dubai Map project is an aerial photography project acquiring high-quality colour digital aerial images and orthoimagery of Dubai and Hatta with a total area of 5,189sq km. Digital aerial images have a high resolution and high accuracy of 15 cm and 45 cm acquired using one of the latest UltraCam cameras from Vexcel Imaging. Digital true orthophotos for 1,319 sq km of the urban area are available for the first time with GIS department.”

Malek said that, along with the main streets, secondary streets and public parks have also been covered by the projects. “As these images give a 360-degree view of various locations in Dubai, one can virtually visit a location without having to videotape or before actually visiting it,” he said.

“The project was entirely undertaken by geographic information systems cadres without any type of external expertise or services, and is also the first of its kind not only at the state level, but the entire region, with an estimated total cost of Dh178,000,” he added.