All Dubai buildings will get geo-address codes

All Dubai buildings will get geo-address codes Sajila Saseendran / 9 July 2013 Each building in Dubai is slated to soon receive its geo-address code number which will help find locations easier and faster through a geo-address navigation system launched by the Dubai Municipality. The GIS Department of the municipality has completed issuing a special location number and barcode to 123,000 buildings in Dubai, Director of the Department Abdul Hakim Malik told Khaleej Times on Monday. “This means we have got the accurate location of the entrances of all these buildings in Dubai, including those in the free zones and in Hatta. There will be no more confusion in identifying any place, building, street or locality in Dubai if you use the new Geo Address System of the municipality.” Finding the location of these premises, which include government organisations, hospitals, schools, hotels, commercial buildings, houses, factories and warehouses, can now be done with a single click on using a globally integrated code via smart phones, iPads, computers and navigators. The latest navigation product from Garmin, the municipality’s partner in the project, has exclusively incorporated the municipality’s system into it. “If you put the geo-coordinate number of your home in the Garmin system, it will guide you exactly to your home.” A team of officials will be assigned to personally visit and distribute the geo-coordinates of each and every building, said Malik. “They will double check the code and hand it over to the reception desk or the watchmen to distribute it among the occupants. We hope to start distributing the codes in two months and finish it in four months.” Pasting the code on the website www.mylocation.ae will allow one to find the exact location of the specific building. For example, the Dubai Municipality’s main building in Deira can be located by searching by its name or by its coordinates for the building 40R CN 30002 95324. “These are more accurate than Google map or any other product available now. If you are accessing the browser through a mobile phone, you have the option of sending the location code through SMS as well. If it is on the computer, you can email it to your friends.” The live traffic view on the site will help motorists choose route with less traffic to reach their destination faster. Emergency services, police and civil defence officials are expected to start using the DM’s new system soon after the department completes the project. “Hopefully, the system will be fully launched by the end of 2014 once the numbering of entire buildings and locations is completed, which will ultimately help different nationalities who speak around 127 languages in the city of Dubai,” Malik said. According to him, the second version of the municipality’s digital navigation product will be out in three months. sajila@khaleejtimes.com     Taylor Scott International