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His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), today launched the Middle East’s first-of-its-kind drone delivery system at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the special economic zone for knowledge and innovation and a member of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ). The launch event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority.
His Highness placed the first order using the drone delivery system through the platform from the Rochester Institute of Technology-Dubai (RIT-Dubai), one of the landing points within DSO’s drone delivery network. The order was successfully delivered from one of the take-off points in the community.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed reaffirmed Dubai’s commitment to developing advanced infrastructure and fostering an innovative environment to enhance smart logistics and cutting-edge air transport solutions, aligned with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to establish Dubai as a leader among future-ready cities.
His Highness said: “We continue to support projects that drive a diversified, flexible digital economy by leveraging advanced technology in Dubai and empowering the aviation and air transport sectors. Our strategy places a high priority on strengthening public-private partnerships to catalyse research and development (R&D), sustainable growth, and smart mobility. This aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to position Dubai among the world’s top three urban economies.”
Highlighting the importance of economic growth driven by R&D and innovation, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said: “Over the past years, we have launched a series of programmes in Dubai aimed at promoting the development of smart city solutions, enhancing economic integration between various sectors, and employing technology in the service of society, such as the Dubai Programme to Enable Drone Transportation, the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program, the Dubai Research and Development Program, and Dubai’s annual plan to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence. Today, we are reaping the impressive results of these initiatives and continuing the transformational projects that will double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033.”
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed further said: “The future of robotic technologies and self-driving systems for retail services, and knowledge-based economic applications, innovation, digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence have all become a reality in Dubai.”
His Highness emphasised Dubai’s pioneering role in driving innovation and creating new opportunities. “Dubai has consistently led the way in advancing research, innovation, and the adoption of transformative technologies. A decade ago, we introduced the UAE Drones for Good Award to encourage the positive use of drone technology. Today, we have reached a significant milestone with operational readiness to commence drone delivery operations. Through strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, we aim to further raise the quality of services, enhance quality of life, and accelerate economic growth.”
The launch was also attended by His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State For Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA); His Excellency Lieutenant General Talal Belhoul Al Falasi, President of Dubai’s State Security Department; and several senior officials.
Dubai, a lab for technologies of the future
His Highness’ comments were made during the completion of a joint project between Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), to finalise preparations for launching drone delivery services in DSO. Their efforts resulted in the creation of dedicated air routes aligned with existing airspace usage in DSO.
Excellence in air transport solutions
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, emphasised that Dubai’s global leadership in aviation, logistics, and future mobility stems from the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This vision has established Dubai as one of the most advanced hubs for air transport and aviation solutions. Dubai also leads in excellence in research, development, and testing of cutting-edge technologies, including drones and related services, leveraging these innovations to drive development and serve communities worldwide.
The pilots at Dubai Silicon Oasis were the culmination of the Dubai Program to Enable Drone Transportation, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2021. The MoU to initiate the programme’s operations was signed by several government and private sector entities, including Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the Roads and Transport Authority, Fakeeh University Hospital, Majid Al Futtaim, and Emirates SkyCargo.
Over the past few months, Dubai Silicon Oasis hosted a series of pilot operations for drone delivery operations to ensure the highest aviation safety and security standards. This was done in cooperation with the DCAA and Keeta Drone, a pioneer in this field and the most well-known drone delivery platform in China. This is the company’s first venture outside the Greater China region.
Pioneering programme
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of DIEZ, said: “DIEZ is committed to supporting initiatives that utilise advanced technologies to facilitate people’s daily lives, and provide a conducive environment to pilot smart solutions ahead of implementation. We are proud to be a key partner of the Dubai Program to Enable Drone Transportation, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in 2021.”
He added: “We are delighted to launch drone delivery operations at DSO, which has become an internationally recognised lab for the latest smart technologies. The launch marks a new milestone in the shift towards a future of technological innovation. We are committed to working with both, the private and public sectors, to test and implement projects and initiatives in the smart mobility field, in a bid to offer the emirate’s residents the most advanced smart services as part of the emirate’s broader strategy to make Dubai the world’s best place to live.”
World’s most future-ready city
His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Linjawi, Director General of DCAA, said: “We are committed to making a vital contribution to enhancing Dubai’s position as one of the cities best prepared for the future and a global hub for innovation in the aviation sector. This new achievement in the field of drone delivery reflects the continuous efforts made by the emirate under the guidance of the wise leadership, which has always attached great importance to developing safe and efficient transportation solutions that contribute to improving quality of life, strengthening Dubai’s future economy and making it a leading model in developing and implementing smart solutions in the field of aviation.”
He added: “Drone delivery will reach 33% of Dubai by 2030, positioning the emirate as a pioneer in smart mobility. We will continue our pioneering role in creating new opportunities by regulating and operating drones and paving the way for the introduction of various emerging and promising technologies in the field of aviation in cooperation with government and private entities, and applying the best international practices to ensure the safety of air operations and using the latest technologies to enhance the efficiency of advanced logistics services.”
Designing and implementing the future
His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, stressed that this achievement embodies the forward-thinking vision of the leadership and Dubai’s commitment to design and execute the future. It also reflects Dubai’s remarkable successes in developing advanced infrastructure and creating integrated systems to support the growth of smart mobility, delivery, and logistics services over the past years.
Belhoul noted: “The Dubai Future Foundation is committed to collaborating with public and private entities, in line with HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s directives to accelerate progress in vital economic and future sectors.”
“We will continue to work with our partners through various projects, programmes, and initiatives, such as the ‘Dubai Program to Enable Drone Transportation,’ the ‘Dubai Robotics and Automation Program,’ and the ‘Dubai Research, Development, and Innovation Program’. This aligns with our mission to reinforce Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most future-ready cities,” Belhoul added.
Dr. Yinian Mao, VP of Meituan and President of Keeta Drone, the overseas arm of the drone delivery unit of Meituan, a leading tech-driven retail company in China, said: “Our venture in the Middle East aligns with the parent company’s growth strategy. We are excited to have an ideal partner such as Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority that offers businesses and investors three economic zones of choice to ensure the right platform to establish and grow in this region. Through our presence in Dubai Silicon Oasis, we are keen to bring drone delivery solutions to its community and look forward to expanding the initiative across Dubai, and the wider region.”
Academic and research lab
Dr. Yousef Al-Assaf, President of Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, said: “We are proud to forge a unique partnership with diverse public and private sector entities in the project to test, implement and launch the first drone delivery system in the Middle East, from Dubai Silicon Oasis, which consolidates its position as a hub for future technologies. The participation of RIT-Dubai, headquartered in DSO, in this pioneering project enables it to develop its academic competencies, empower local talent, and provide a world-class academic and research laboratory environment.”
Advanced algorithms
With the aid of cutting-edge flight control algorithms and multi-sensor fusion positioning technology, the drone is designed to operate in various city landscapes. It is equipped with low-noise propellers, a parachute, and a flight control system, all developed in-house.
