Press Release

Coordination of Spatial Data in Abu Dhabi is contributing 230

million Dhs savings in Government Expenditures

Abu Dhabi, 20 th. July, 2009:

H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi, Secretary General of Abu Dhabi

Executive Council has confirmed that the Spatial Data Initiative (AD-
SDI) launched in July 2007 has succeeded in achieving the desired
objectives of facilitating geospatial data sharing between government
entities and other concerned entities, providing coordinated access to
current high quality geographical information, and advising on spatially-
enabled e-Government services for Abu Dhabi Government customers
be they citizens or businesses.

The AD-SDI initiative is a key pillar of the broader Abu Dhabi

Government Services Modernisation program being implemented under
the wise council and direction of His Highness General Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy
Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of the
Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Through its realisation
location-aware customer-centric government services can be facilitated
in the Abu Dhabi e-Government drive.

Commenting on Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC)

receiving a worldwide recognition award from global Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) technology leader ESRI in San Diego this
past week, H.E. Al Bawardi said “The coordination efforts of this
initiative have contributed to the proactive, comprehensive and informed
planning and decision-making process, as well as to the implementation
of an integrated approach that is increasing the government performance
efficiency and streamlining the work of 40 public and semi-public sector
organisations, including concerned entities in education and academia.”

He further added: “This initiative will contribute in saving

approximately 230 million Dhs in government expenditures by avoiding
duplication of effort, increasing staff performance, and by providing
concerned beneficiaries with accurate information that ensures effective
and successful decision making.”

GIS technology currently provides a variety of computer tools that are

used to gather, manage, share, and accurately verify geographical data,
in addition to analyze and transform it to visual images. The GIS
concept means more than simply developing maps on computers; it
provides an information infrastructure platform to cluster various forms
or themes of geographic data together, thus supporting a standardised
all-inclusive decision-making process across many business sectors and
on multiple levels. Many government entities in Abu Dhabi have
invested in GIS technology and enterprise database systems to meet their
own needs. Through the AD-SDI initiative, ADSIC on behalf of the Abu
Dhabi Government has succeeded in establishing the framework
(policies, partnerships, standards, data, procedures, technologies, and the
appropriate institutional capabilities) necessary to support geographic
information sharing and to optimise benefits across the Emirate. It is
upon the solid foundation of the AD-SDI that spatial or geographic
information will optimally serve concerned decision makers in both the
public and private sectors.