UAE Geographic Information Systems: Pioneering Geographic Intelligence and Technology

UAE Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) Center aims to establish itself as a respectable research centre specialising in GIS and RS in the UAE and Gulf areas. The centre aims to create a geospatially focused research environment and provide world-class knowledge and expertise for multidisciplinary research in Science and Engineering, Computer, Environmental, Social, and Earth Sciences, Sustainable Development, and Information and Data Management Technologies. The centre’s research agenda includes various activities such as education, research, community service, development, data collection and analysis, training, and consulting.

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UAE Geographic Information Systems

The GIS and Remote Sensing Center was created in 2017. It has supported various programs at the University of Sharjah, including civil and environmental engineering, petroleum geology and remote sensing, and the master of GIS and remote sensing. The facility is outfitted with cutting-edge technology and highly skilled personnel. It has hosted several graduate and undergraduate students and has a high degree of research activity. Furthermore, it has maintained relationships and collaborated with several industrial and educational organisations in the UAE.

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GIS Services and Remote Sensing Center

The GIS and RS centre’s services are to contribute to the research fields of GIS and remote sensing. This may include but is not limited to, the use of cutting-edge technologies to acquire and establish geospatial databases and the application and development of novel artificial intelligence approaches to support various earth-related studies.

It serves the UAE community by working with different regional and national agencies to help the decision-making process for sustainable development and supporting academic activities at the University of Sharjah for various programs, including the master of GIS and remote sensing, undergraduate civil and environmental engineering, and bachelor of science in petroleum geosciences and remote sensing.

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UAE Geospatial Data Platforms

Union Atlas is a library of credible geospatial and statistical data for the UAE. It depicts the country’s remarkable path from 1971 to 2021, as well as prospects and strategic measures to sustain and expand its prosperity over the next 50 years. It combines interactive maps, international performance indicators, geographical information, satellite photos, and visual media to highlight the country’s achievements in a time series during the last 50 years.

Union Atlas intends to improve operations and future planning for various government and corporate enterprises to achieve holistic development. It will also help to foster innovation and scientific research in the UAE. The Federal Geographic Information Centre launched the Union Atlas, the first in the UAE.

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UAE National Geospatial Platform

The UAE’s national geospatial platform includes maps, data, and information on the country’s essential sectors. It uses cutting-edge geospatial and artificial intelligence technologies to provide geospatial statistics data. The National Geospatial Map allows users to find the UAE’s health facilities, educational facilities, hotel establishments, international trade statistics, statistical story maps, and other services.

The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center’s National Geospatial Map program aims to foster the establishment of a Geographic Information System (GIS) in the UAE and provide decision-makers, researchers, and students with access to detailed statistics and survey results via geospatial dashboards. It contributes to national decision-making and planning through collaboration and data integration with key partners. It strives to increase transparency by releasing data and encouraging public participation.

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UAE Environmental Geospatial Platform

The Environmental Geospatial platform contains numerous interactive geographical applications that provide access to open data in various sectors, including biodiversity, marine environment, green development, chemicals and waste, environmental compliance, biosecurity, and others. The platform is crucial in achieving ecological and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is a dependable source of environmental spatial data relating to the UAE.

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Geodata on the UAE Data Portal

Bayanat, the national data portal, produces data sets on geospatial data or remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS). (Bayanat) geodata website includes datasets on:

• Ajman Geomap.
• Humanitarian helps.
• School Map.
• Abu Dhabi GeoSpatial Portal.

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Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure Program

The Abu Dhabi Government has started a Spatial Data Infrastructure Program to facilitate the sharing of geospatial data among government departments and other stakeholders while improving the emirate’s GeoMaturity level. The program’s strategic goals are to develop:

• GeoSmart services: This will assist Abu Dhabi government entities transform their services into GeoSmart ones.
• GeoMature Abu Dhabi: This will assist the emirate in moving closer to GeoMature and accelerate the transition to the next Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) generation (SDI 3.0).
• Geo innovation: This will assist the emirate in promoting geo-innovation and leveraging private-public partnerships.
• Effective SDI Node: This will assist the emirate in improving the performance of Abu Dhabi’s SDI Central Node.
• Proper Spatial Data: This will assist the emirate in regulating and improving the availability of high-quality geospatial data.
• Strong Community: This will assist the emirate in strengthening the SDI Community’s development, engagement, and organisation.
• Transparent Governance: will help the emirate improve the Abu Dhabi-SDI Institutional Framework.
• Enhance Outreach: This will assist the emirate in improving outreach and communication tools to support Abu Dhabi SDI’s community efforts.

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Shuaa Emirates Solar Calculator

The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s online solar web application Shuaa, which means solar beam or radiation in Arabic, is a free web-based application that allows UAE residents to perform preliminary calculations for estimating solar power generation potential in their vicinity, whether it is a roof, farm, mall, warehouse, factory, or parking lot.

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UAE Water Platform

The water platform is a complete information system. Its goal is to give decision-makers and specialists in integrated water resources management the most essential information about water resources in the UAE. This data will be utilised for strategic planning and future forecasting to demonstrate our dedication to conserving natural resources and ensuring sustainable management.

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Foreign Trade Interactive Map

The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority offers a suite of geographical information systems tools and digital platforms designed to present spatial data in novel ways utilising cutting-edge GIS technology. An intelligent interactive mapping program shows UAE foreign trade statistics (imports, exports, and re-exports). The relevance of these tools stems from their ease of use, which significantly assists decision-makers, researchers, and students by displaying information intelligently and creating interactive maps that can be digested rapidly.

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Geospatial Analytics Market Size in UAE

The UAE Geospatial Analytics market is valued at USD 0.28 billion in the current year. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.76% during the forecast period to become USD 0.41 billion by the next five years. Geospatial analysis refers to a broad range of activities that emphasise applying various techniques to data comprising geographical or space-related characteristics.

The increasing use of GPS devices, technological advancements in the field of GIS technology, recent trends in the integration and convergence of geospatial technologies, the emergence of new business models aimed at leveraging the demand for geospatial information, and the increased application of geospatial analytics in city and town planning are some of the primary factors driving the expansion of the market for geospatial analytics.

Geospatial analytics may be helpful in building. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools enable builders and developers to make informed decisions based on data-driven insights regarding location, zoning, and available resources. GIS technology may assist with anything from site selection to project management in residential development. GIS, for example, can be used to examine the terrain of a potential construction site and determine its viability for development. Furthermore, GIS can help builders detect potential environmental hazards that must be addressed during building.

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UAE Geospatial Analytics Market Trends

Surface Analysis is expected to hold a significant market share. Surface or terrain analysis examines topography-related data such as aspect, volume, slope, hydrology, and other pertinent features. Surface analysis is frequently used in disaster mitigation and location planning because it effectively uses esoteric mapping to calculate the likelihood of disasters. The general features of a surface (such as slope, aspect, and curvature) are mainly used to examine variations in the surface of a research object.

Surface analysis can also be applied to ecological zoning, land suitability categorisation, and probability mapping. Agricultural suitability and the likelihood of soil erosion are two examples of how geospatial data can best be used to maximise the use of available land and limited rural labour, and according to Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation, the ADNOC LNG—Fujairah LNG Export Terminal had the highest value among gas projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2022, at USD 7.95 billion.

Most Gulf Cooperation Council and North African countries saw power surpluses, while numerous Levantine countries experienced power deficits. Such an increase in construction would generate demand in the researched market.

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Geospatial Analytics Industry in UAE

The UAE geospatial analytics market is moderately consolidated, with many players, including General Electric, ESRI Inc., Google LLC, and others. The corporations continue to invest in strategic partnerships and product development to achieve a significant market share.

Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) digital arm, unveiled Geospatial (GIS) Services in March 2022 to assist local governments and enterprises in expanding their operations and meet their digital transformation goals. Moro Hub will offer three sorts of GIS services:

• GIS Professional Services for creating GIS systems.
• GIS Managed services for running GIS systems.
• GIS Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is delivered via a sophisticated and secure cloud hosted in the UAE.

Bayanat, an ADX-listed public business that develops AI-powered geospatial solutions, will launch a comprehensive Space Programme in May 2023 in collaboration with AI YahSatellite Communications business PJSC (Yahsat), the UAE’s leading satellite solutions provider. The Programme aims to enhance the UAE’s national satellite remote sensing and Earth Observation (EO) capabilities. This initiative is part of the two companies’ collaboration with ICEYE, a well-known SAR satellite. The expansion aims to examine the economic potential of the UAE space environment and the global EO market.

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UAE Geospatial Data Analysis Industry Segmentation

Geospatial analytics collects, manipulates, and displays imagery and data from a geographic information system (GIS), such as satellite photographs and GPS coordinates. It uses specific identifiers, such as street addresses and zip codes. Geospatial data analytics develops geographic models and data visualisations that improve trend modelling and forecasting.

The UAE Geospatial Analytics Market is divided into Types (Surface Analysis, Network Analysis, Geovisualization) and End User Verticals (Agriculture, Utility and Communication, Defense and Intelligence, Government, Mining and Natural Resources, Automotive and Transportation, Healthcare, Real Estate, and Construction). Market sizes and predictions regarding value (USD billion) for all segments listed above are provided.

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Maptitude UAE Mapping Software 2024

Maptitude Geographic Information System (GIS) software provides intelligent business, government, and education mapping solutions. Maptitude is a powerful combination of software and geographic data that offers everything you need to reap the benefits of desktop mapping and spatial analysis in a user-friendly solution. Maptitude includes one complimentary Country Package (worth US $595). Maptitude with the United Arab Emirates Country Package is the best value for customers looking for UAE and world mapping software, costing only US$695. Here are the Key Features of Maptitude UAE Mapping Software:

• Optimises sales territory, vehicle routes, and site location.
• Visualises, analyses and delivers mission-critical information.
• Maximises revenues, time, and resources.
• Includes a national street layer.
• This comprises the administrative boundaries of the entire United Arab Emirates.
• Integrates with Google Earth for any place within and outside of the UAE.
• Supports data in various spreadsheet, database, and geographic formats commonly used in the UAE.
• It contains advanced analysis capabilities for creating rings, areas of influence, hot spots, flow lines, districts, drive-time rings, territories, routes, and 3D surfaces.
• It contains MapWizard quick mapping technology for creating colour, scaled-symbol, dot-density, pie, and bar chart thematic maps.
• Includes the GISDK application development platform.
• The Edit>Preferences>System>Language>Translate Interface option allows you to translate menu items into Arabic.
• It includes 60 days of email technical assistance.

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UAE Geographic Information Systems: Pioneering Geographic Intelligence and Technology has revolutionised how we access and interpret geospatial data. With the advent of accessible UAE databases like Bayanat UAE and the UAE Atlas, comprehensive information systems have become more accessible. The FGIC UAE and the Department of Geographical Information System GIS have been instrumental in this transformation. Careers and jobs in UAE Geographic Information Systems are rising, reflecting the growing importance of GIS in the UAE. This technology and remote sensing provide invaluable statistical information in various sectors.