The Municipality of Al Ain City has completed the air photography project, which is one of the operational projects implemented by the municipality using the latest technologies. The imaging accuracy reached between 7 to 10 cm.
The total area covered by the survey project is estimated at 5000 km², encompassing all urban and semi-urban areas of Al Ain City. This effort is part of the municipality's initiative to provide an accurate database that supports planning studies, research, and geospatial analyses, thereby enhancing urban growth.
Eng. Mohammed Al Rashedi, the project manager in the Spatial Data Management Department, stated that the importance of the project lies in obtaining documented and accurate information that contributes to enhancing the efficiency of geospatial data and the classification of features on the base map and inventorying assets. This is achieved by providing a set of raw photos, processed high-resolution photos, air LiDAR points, and ground control points. Additionally, the project involves obtaining other certified photos using the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and true other photos using the Digital Surface Model (DSM).
He added that through the project, the municipality has undertaken several initiatives in Al Ain City, such as the project to update spatial databases with recent photos, as well as assessing the condition of lands. The project outputs are also used to update the base map, which contains all geospatial information about the landmarks on the surface of the Al Ain area. This data is beneficial for current and future planning studies and for determining the locations and elevations of various types of landmarks.
Al Rashedi stated that the outputs of the air photography project can be utilized to activate numerous functions that serve the Al Ain region. These functions include the automatic detection of changes in various areas of Al Ain, determining the type and extent of these changes, calculating the quantities of excavation and backfilling to achieve the required levels, assessing land conditions, and monitoring irregularities. Additionally, the project aids in inventorying assets such as streets of various types, light poles in different forms, and signboards across all areas of Al Ain, along with many other uses.