ADSIC Participates In GISWORX 2010 Conference

Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) participated in the fifth GISWORX conference held at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai and attended by more than 750 participants including representatives of various public and private sector organisations, experts and prominent speakers in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technologies from within the UAE, the Middle East and beyond. The conference included 24 workshops that reflected the significance of the conference in providing a major networking opportunity for experts and vendors to offer the latest technologies in GIS arena.

In his speech Engineer Abdul Kareem Al Raeisi, Executive Manager of the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure (AD-SDI) initiative and one of the keynote speakers at the conference gave an informative insight into the AD-SDI initiative which was launched in June 2007 by Abu Dhabi Government as part of the ongoing e-Government programme administered within Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre to facilitate the exchange of geospatial data among various government entities and other stakeholders.

"AD-SDI includes more than 35 members from various entities responsible for maintaining hundreds of spatial data layers held in the AD-SDI Data Clearinghouse and accessible through the AD-SDI Geospatial Portal. In June 2009, two years after its launch, the initiative won the ESRI "Special Achievement in GIS" award in recognition of its outstanding work among its peers around the world." Al Raeisi said.

"The AD-SDI community oversees a network of interoperable entity nodes, standards, policies and procedures that provide the enabling environment for supporting the coordinated development and sharing of commonly needed geographic information. The AD-SDI initiative is based on a range of international sound practices and standards for all aspects of SDI which have been adapted to meet the special situation and needs of Abu Dhabi. The common vision and partnership of members across all sectors are intended to ensure that the AD-SDI programme meets the individual and cumulative needs of its stakeholders and makes a positive and effective contribution to the continuous development of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by creating a flexible geospatial environment that facilitates access to geographic information among members of society."

Engineer Al Raeisi also highlighted the growth and significance of GIS in Abu Dhabi, and how it has been increasingly becoming an integral part of our daily lives. He also pointed to the vital role being played by GIS in facilitating, coordinating and supporting cross-agency GIS coordination and the sharing of spatial information needed to deliver services to the various sectors of society and to effectively plan for the future of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Al Raeisi hailed the great efforts and active involvement of all stakeholders in the success of the initiative.

ADSIC’s successful participation in the conference also involved a pavilion which provided information on its activities and initiatives including the Abu Dhabi Geospatial Portal. ADSIC team stationed in the pavilion answered various queries from participants who expressed their admiration for the Geospatial Portal and the efforts of the Centre towards the eTransformation of government services in the Emirate.
 

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