Abu Dhabi: More than 200,000 addresses for buildings in Abu Dhabi have now been allocated as part of the emirate’s Onwani unified addressing system, the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) announced on Monday.
In addition, more than 19,000 street names have been created, and all of the location data has been integrated into navigation systems like Google Maps, Here Maps, and TomTom.
QR code access
The project, which aims to enable easier navigation and location finding in the emirate, incorporates QR codes on street signs, which provide detailed location information and postal codes.
Enabling better navigation is expected to improve emergency response times, and enhance business and delivery efficiency. In turn, this should help reduce the carbon footprint, and support planning and operations. In addition, the DMT said the convenience of a comprehensive addressing system supports tourism and exploration.
Another geo-addressing system, known as Makani, is also in use in Dubai, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
OnwaniClick app
In addition to being available on international navigation apps, Onwani data is also accessible through the DMT’s OnwaniClick app, which was developed 2019. The app is available in Arabic and English, and informs about the meaning of place names.
To facilitate the adoption of Onwani, the DMT is now working with public and private sector entities, the authority said.
Supporting innovation
“[Onwani] will pave the way to support the next wave of innovation in how geospatial technology and data is leveraged for progressive municipal governance and operations in Abu Dhabi. It provides an integrated set of functionalities and data in renowned global navigation systems and apps to better serve sustainable growth for the economic, social, security, environmental, tourism and cultural sectors,” said Dr Omar Al Shaiba, acting executive director for Information Technology at the DMT.
“DMT aims to support Abu Dhabi position as one of the Smartest Cities on the world by implementing pioneering digital transformation and GeoSMART solutions that are complemented by innovative design thinking and a progressive implementation approach,” he added.
