Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said it has developed the use of drone technology to streamline the efficiency of the emirate's infrastructure and contribute to providing efficient and easy-to-use services.

This comes as part of the Sirb (Arabic for fleet) initiative launched by the Dubai utility last year.

Sirb contains a fleet of high-end drones used to support Dubai’s infrastructure and contribute to providing efficient and easy-to-use services. It supports national efforts to use modern technologies to serve humanity.

Dewa said it has improved its uses of the technology to cover various domains including topographic surveys, improved operational efficiency, thermal inspection, photovoltaic panel maintenance, and early detection, using thermal imaging, to identify overhead power lines.

This limits risks, reduces costs, enables quick-response times and ensures accuracy, making it easier to make informed decisions.

The drones use state-of-the-art upgradable technologies such as high-definition cameras that are equipped with night-vision, lasers and GPS sensors, and can measure pressure, height, magnetic fields, and use ultrasound scanning, it stated.

On the new initiative, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive, said: "Dewa uses drone technology in its Sirb initiative, to improve its operational efficiency, and provide seamless and easy-to-use services according to the highest international standards, to make everyone happier."

"Dewa attaches great importance to innovation and making use of the latest international technologies. It uses different types of drones in its Sirb fleet. These range from fixed-wing to multi-rotor drones, which are capable of searching for, and identifying, oil spills and red tide," he added.
 
The utility presented four of its drones during its participation at the second UAE Drones for Good Award, where it conducted a live demonstration of its Hydro Drone, which is used for water sampling from different locations and depths around the desalination plants.

The use of these drones are expected to enhance accuracy and increase efficiency The drone can stay in the air for 25 minutes and can land on water.-TradeArabia News Service