Dubai:  The Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) has taken a step further to secure businesses and tenants by deploying drones around the free zone on Tuesday, Gulf News has learned.

The authority announced that it has invested in the smart security surveillance program at the hi-tech park as part of the government’s initiative to transform the emirate into a smart city.

“The drones are being deployed as of today,” a spokesperson told Gulf News.

Security experts welcome the move, citing that drones provide a cost-efficient way to secure infrastructure, commercial and residential areas.

Khalil Odel Shalan, vice president of operation and facilities at DSOA, said the use of drones will “significantly enhance the security team’s response time” and help them monitor the premises with ease.

He assured that the privacy of the residents and tenants will not be compromised, citing that the machines will be mainly monitoring the roads and common areas throughout the integrated free zone technology park.

“We have conducted thorough research and due diligence before introducing these machines and would like to reassure our residents and business partners that the new system will not compromise the privacy of residential or commercial properties at DSO,” he said.

DSO is a technology park with a number of office buildings, residential condominiums and villas.

Only a select few personnel from the security team at DSO are authorised to operate the surveillance drones.

The personnel are equipped with a Terrestial Trunked Radio (Tetra) system, which allows for SMS exchange and calls between handsets, as well as locating of handsets through GPS.

Shalan said that their initiative, dubbed "Drones for Security Surveillance", is aligned with the smart city vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to transform Dubai into the "smartest city in the world."

"The surveillance by drones will also add value to the existing smart city infrastructure that we have previously introduced at DSO, such as smart waste bins, smart subsurface irrigation system and electronic vehicles charging station, among others."

Khalid Al Arif, director of Standards and Regulations Department at Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), also noted that the use of drones can be a "distinct advantage in protecting the public from threats and in successfully helping identify and prevent crimes."

"We have been following the use of drones around the world for safety, security and surveillance purposes with a great deal of interest since they were first launched, with the view of implementing the system for the benefit of the emirate of Dubai and its residents. Civil safety and security is of utmost importance to us."

The DSOA assured that the use of drones will follow the Remote Piloted Aerial Vehicles guidelines issued by the DCAA.

However, some analysts warned that privacy issues may arise.

"The concerns with drones, is like with normal CCTV systems, if they are in the wrong hands and used to spy on people's privacy. We have already seen the first cases in Europe where drones have been involved in cases where individuals' privacy has been breached," Nicolai Solling, director of technology services at Help AG, told Gulf News.

Mohamed Djenane, security specialist at ESET Middle East, said that drone surveillance is very effective and does not require a lot of budget to maintain. "These vehicles come equipped with advanced recording devices, and as a whole, have a small footprint and are not detected in many cases."

"With those benefits for security surveillance come few disadvantages, such as the collection of unnecessary personal data, that don't necessarily contribute to the purpose of security."