The Civil Defence officials in Dubai have been provided with the approval to utilise drones in case of high-rise fires in the emirate.
The move has been launched by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which enables the utilisation of drones for backup and support in case of emergencies.
This move will be of high benefit as it will help Civil Defence to handle fires even in those places which are very hard to reach, such as high-rise buildings, confined areas and warehouses containing hazardous materials.
The head of Civil Defence in Dubai, Lt Gen Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, stated, “This will positively reflect on the missions carried out by the Civil Defence to rescue lives and property, as it contributes towards saving time, effort as well as speed in managing accidents of all kinds.”
The GCAA has initially issued an operational approval for over 180 drone systems during the first three months of 2022.
It has also approved 20,000 applications that came from amateur drone users, as well as 181 operators that will be utilised for government and commercial work, including the usage of 870 drones.
On the other hand, a ban on the use of drones as well as light aircraft was launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the month of January after several attempted attacks on Abu Dhabi by the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist group.
However, Firms with important commercial projects will be able to apply to the Ministry of Interior to ask for an exemption and if approved, will be allowed to supply drones only to people having permission from authorities to use the drones.
The officials have also announced that anyone who will be found using drones without any official permission will be facing imprisonment of up to five years, along with a fine of around Dh100,000 ($27,225).