The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Maritime (part of AD Ports Group) and with the support of the National Guard, has activated the Waterway Monitoring and Control Centre to strengthen maritime safety in Abu Dhabi.
The launch took place in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Saeed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan and Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
The facility serves as a central hub for waterway safety monitoring and public maritime service operations and will leverage smart systems and predictive analytics to support maritime activities and enhance the experience of waterway users across the emirate.
A nexus for waterway management in Abu Dhabi, the centre delivers comprehensive situational awareness across navigational channels and open waters within the emirate’s waterbodies, which span more than 45,000 square kilometres. This enables real-time monitoring of public maritime service dispatch, public water transport, and marine craft circulation.
Furthermore, the centre coordinates and oversees the positioning and maintenance of nearly 2,000 navigation aids and sensor-equipped smart lanterns, including 1,063 lateral marker buoys, 367 beacons, 227 signage buoys, and 62 shallow-water signage boards.
The centre also facilitates the delivery of more than 40 public maritime services through official digital channels, while ensuring close monitoring of visiting vessel journeys, including occupancy patterns across more than 1,500 public berths. Its scope extends to monitoring public water transport movements, including ferries and water taxis, managing wreck and debris clearing operations, and issuing marine notices and circulars.
Additionally, the centre is responsible for official inspections and enforcing maritime safety regulations across more than 100 public and private maritime facilities and approximately 3,600 recreational marine craft, ensuring seamless communication with relevant authorities.
By unifying these processes within a single digital system, the centre captures coherent data capable of transformation into predictive insights through artificial intelligence programmes. This supports informed decision-making, service enhancements, and proactive interventions to strengthen safety, waterway access, and environmental protection.
Dr Abdulla Hamad Obaid AlGhfeli, Acting Director-General of the Integrated Transport Centre, said the launch of the centre will strengthen public safety, maritime mobility, and the efficiency of Abu Dhabi’s public maritime services.
“Through this resource, we aim to encourage safe waterway use, bolster community confidence in maritime activities, and identify opportunities to further develop our assets and service offering. This initiative reinforces the emirate’s vision to integrate smart mobility solutions that enhance quality of life and support long-term economic growth and further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global maritime hub,” he said.
Captain Saif Al Mheiri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Maritime and Chief Sustainability & Risk Officer at AD Ports Group, said, “The safety and sustainability of our waterways are intertwined; every safe journey reduces the likelihood of pollution and habitat disturbance, thereby minimising the need for emergency interventions. The Waterway Monitoring and Control Centre introduces a new standard of smart surveillance and predictive management.
“By leveraging real-time data, advanced analytics, and integrated response systems, Abu Dhabi Maritime can ensure safer navigation, faster response, and stronger environmental stewardship across our coastline.”
The Waterway Monitoring and Control Centre is managed by the ITC and operated by Abu Dhabi Maritime in close coordination with the National Guard, pursuant to the Regulatory Bylaw for Maritime Safety in the Waterways of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
In conjunction with the inauguration, the ITC has launched four new patrol boats, with crews staffed by Nishan Security Services (part of AD Ports Group) conducting daily surveys to identify unsafe activity and regulatory violations.
The centre’s monitoring toolkit also includes 16 radar stations for a complete traffic picture, 29 CCTV cameras at key locations along with over 400 cameras within public maritime facilities, and 17 VHF devices for real-time coordination between vessels and shore-based operators.
The centre is headquartered on Saadiyat Island, supported by a satellite centre in Al Dhannah, Al Dhafra Region, to ensure comprehensive oversight of the emirate’s public waterbodies.
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