Police in Dubai will use an Israeli drone company to help increase security and shorten emergency response times.
Petah Tikva-based Airobotics said its drone-in-a-box system, which includes an array of automatic drones, will be deployed throughout the UAE’s largest city at the start of the World Expo 2020 in October. The event, which is being held a year late because of the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to be the largest event ever held in the Arab world, with an expected 25 million global visitors over the course of five months.
The Airobotics system will replace security personnel, with a fast and efficient autonomous drone fleet that can be deployed everywhere at a low cost. The system will reduce police response times for criminal and traffic reports from 4.4 minutes to just one minute, without any operations team or pilot to manage with the glider, Emirati media said.
Dubai chose the Airobotics system shortly after the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel last year, as a test case for the regular integration of drones in security activities. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum gave his final approval for the project on Wednesday.
Dubai is already an extremely safe city, monitored by more than 300,000 cameras around the clock, the sheikh said.
The expo is the one of the most important and largest international events of economic and cultural importance after the World Cup and the Olympics. Israel will have a 1,500-sq.m. pavilion at the expo, with a massive hall and 14 large LED display screens sharing information about the country’s economy and culture, as well as showcasing Israeli companies.
Airobotics drone systems are developed and manufactured in Israel, and have already gained significant operational experience in Australia, Singapore and the US, the company noted.