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Tue, Dec 09, 2025 | Jumada al-Thani 19, 1447 | Fajr 05:31 | DXB 
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Dubai's 'Smart Eye' to use drones to predict disease spread, monitor plant health
The programme is being rolled out in partnership with private entity Eanan, a company building some of the most versatile drones that is being used by several government entities
Dubai Municipality has signed several new partnerships to improve the forecasting of infectious diseases and monitor the city using drones among other projects. It is part of the emirate’s attempt to become a proactive city that preempts the needs of its residents.
The Smart Eye programme will use drones to assist in the civic body’s functions across the emirate. “We will begin using drones for two use-case scenarios,” said Khulood Mustafawi, Future foresight specialist at Dubai Municipality. “One of them will be to monitor the health of plants and the other will be to sow seeds in large fields. Once we get the feedback from these, we will consider rolling out drones on a larger scale.”
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At the Urban Future Week held at Museum of the Future, DM Director General Marwan Ahmed Bin Ghalita signed MoUs with five other government departments to improve the functioning of the civic body and prepare it to serve its residents better. The Smart Eye programme is being rolled out in partnership with private entity Eanan. The company has been building some of the most versatile drones that is being used by several government entities in the country.
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Spread of infectious diseases
DM signed an agreement with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to strengthen public health collaboration through early detection and analysis of shared and vector-borne disease data.
According to Fidaa Alhammadi, Head of Strategy and corporate development department at DM, this partnership specifically deals with diseases spread through insects or animals. “Both entities will work together to predict the possibility of such diseases and eradicate them,” she said.
Dr. Younis Kazim, acting chief executive officer of the Health Regulation Sector at DHA said: “This initiative supports the Government of Dubai’s direction to accelerate responses to future challenges and adopt flexible, data-driven operational models that ensure seamless service integration across sectors. Such an approach contributes directly to improving quality of life for all members of society.”
In his opening speech, Marwan highlighted how Dubai Municipality is being guided by three pillars — transforming from an intelligent city to a forward looking city that anticipates the needs of its people, moving from sustainability to renewability, and making new destinations to attract more visitors.
Other agreements
DM also signed agreements with Ports, Customs and Free Zone, Dubai integrated Economic Zones and Dubai Development Authority to work together for creating a centralized building data- which will help in the future planning of the city.
“In the future, our goal is to implement 3D digital models and digital twins for all types of buildings as part of a broader digitalisation effort,” said Fidaa. “To get there, we need to bring all building data together in one place instead of having it scattered in different systems. By creating one unified platform, we can easily access, share, and work with all the information about a building. This will help us manage buildings more efficiently and move toward a more digital and connected approach.”
An MoU with the Dubai Future Foundation will also see DM plan city beautification in a futuristic manner and will support initiatives that enhance the aesthetics and attractiveness of the city.
Joint agility incubator
The event also saw the launch of a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to improve government collaboration, speed, and impact. The Gov² Agility Connect has been launched inside DM to streamline the activities of the 43 departments in the entity and will soon be expanded to aid collaboration between various government agencies.
“The goal is to remove administrative barriers, make faster decisions, and operate as one integrated government body instead of separate units,” said Fidaa. “This initiative will create high-impact, fast results and break down silos between departments and entities to work as one unified government.”
The name ‘Gov²’ symbolises the amplified impact achieved through government collaboration. Agility highlights responsiveness to evolving challenges and opportunities, while connect represents the principle of a unified government system with flexible organisational and procedural coordination.
Nasreen Abdulla
Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.
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