The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Dubai Municipality have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the Dubai Horizons project aimed at planning drone flight routes and landing sites in the emirate.

Through the MoU, both parties “will leverage each others’ expertise in creating geospatial data for the emirate as well as their collective knowledge in the unmanned aerial vehicle sector".

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of DCAA, chairman of Dubai Airports, and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Dubai is committed to constantly strengthening its infrastructure in vital sectors to raise its status as one of the world’s top urban economies in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. As part of this, the Dubai Horizons project seeks to create a streamlined plan and infrastructure for the development of new drone technologies.”

“The Dubai Horizons project aims to create the cooperative networks needed to provide the ideal environment for the deployment and growth of new drone technologies as well as align Dubai’s air dome system and unmanned aircraft traffic management with the emirate’s comprehensive urban plan. The project, which also supports Dubai’s future air mobility plans, will contribute to raising Dubai’s global competitiveness and achieving its ambitious goals,” he added.

Dawoud Al Hajri, director-general of Dubai Municipality, noted: “By enhancing the process of site planning for airports and airfields designated for drones, the new agreement will support the development of the aviation industry. Our partnership with the DCAA will strengthen Dubai's position as a centre of innovation in the aviation industry and create an encouraging climate for investment in the sector.”

The project, which will run for three years from the initiative's launch date, will be implemented in Dubai Silicon Oasis as a trial run. Dubai Silicon Oasis has been chosen as the designated entity for implementing the Dubai Horizons project.

In accordance with the MoU, Dubai Municipality will provide the DCAA a direct link to an online portal that contains databases, digital data of a geospatial nature, and 3D charts in Dubai Silicon Oasis, as well as the servers and geospatial databases required to store this data and 3D charts and publish them on the appropriate systems.

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