Abu Dhabi opens integrated maritime monitoring centre

Abu Dhabi has begun operating a centralised waterway monitoring and control centre designed to strengthen maritime safety, improve emergency coordination and support public marine services across the emirate.

The facility, managed by the Integrated Transport Centre, known as Abu Dhabi Mobility, brings surveillance, vessel movement data, regulatory enforcement and service management into a single digital platform. Abu Dhabi Maritime, part of AD Ports Group, operates the centre in coordination with the National Guard.

The centre covers navigational channels and open waters spanning more than 45,000 square kilometres. Its systems provide real-time oversight of marine craft, ferries, water taxis and public maritime service teams, giving operators a unified picture of activity across Abu Dhabi’s extensive waterways.

The monitoring network includes 16 radar stations, 29 closed-circuit television cameras at strategic locations and more than 400 cameras installed within public maritime facilities. Seventeen very-high-frequency communication devices connect vessels with shore-based operators, allowing officials to coordinate responses to accidents, navigation hazards and unsafe conduct.

Four new patrol boats have also entered service as part of the initiative. Crews from Nishan Security Services, an AD Ports Group company, will conduct daily surveys to identify regulatory breaches, hazardous activity and risks to navigation.

The centre is headquartered on Saadiyat Island, with a satellite control facility operating in Al Dhannah in the Al Dhafra Region. The two-site model is intended to provide broader surveillance coverage and maintain oversight of waterways beyond the capital’s main coastal areas.

Officials said the platform would use artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and integrated data to identify patterns that could indicate emerging safety or environmental risks. Information gathered from vessel movements, berth occupancy, inspections, navigation systems and patrol operations can be analysed to support earlier intervention.

The centre is responsible for coordinating the positioning and maintenance of almost 2,000 navigational aids and sensor-equipped smart lanterns. These include 1,063 lateral marker buoys, 367 beacons, 227 signage buoys and 62 shallow-water warning boards.

Such equipment is critical in marking safe routes, identifying restricted areas and warning operators about shallow water or other navigational hazards. Central supervision is expected to help authorities detect damaged or displaced aids more quickly and schedule maintenance before risks escalate.

More than 40 public maritime services will be managed or supported through official digital channels connected to the facility. These include marine notices, regulatory circulars, wreck removal, debris clearance and the tracking of visiting vessels.

The system will also analyse occupancy across more than 1,500 public berths, helping operators understand demand, vessel movement and pressure on docking facilities. Better berth data could support planning for new marine infrastructure and reduce congestion at popular waterfront destinations.

Safety inspections and regulatory enforcement will extend to more than 100 public and private maritime facilities and about 3,600 recreational marine craft. Abu Dhabi’s waters are used by leisure boat owners, commercial operators, public transport providers, fishing vessels and tourism businesses, creating a need for consistent monitoring across different categories of users.

The centre operates under the Regulatory Bylaw for Maritime Safety in the Waterways of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The framework establishes requirements covering vessel operations, licensing, inspections, pollution prevention, emergency response and the responsibilities of maritime operators.

Abu Dhabi has about 2,400 kilometres of coastline and approximately 230 islands, making waterway management central to transport planning, tourism, trade and environmental protection. Marine habitats along the coastline are also vulnerable to pollution, vessel groundings, debris and damage caused by unsafe activity.

Dr Abdulla Hamad Obaid AlGhfeli, acting director-general of the Integrated Transport Centre, said the facility would improve public safety, maritime mobility and the efficiency of services. He said the authority also aimed to encourage responsible waterway use and strengthen confidence among residents, visitors and maritime operators.

Captain Saif Al Mheiri, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Maritime and chief sustainability and risk officer at AD Ports Group, said safer navigation could reduce pollution, habitat disturbance and the need for emergency intervention. He said real-time information and integrated response systems would allow faster action and stronger environmental oversight.

The project forms part of a broader push to introduce automated and digitally managed transport systems. Abu Dhabi has also established regulations for testing autonomous and remotely operated small marine vessels, including mandatory permits, insurance requirements and cybersecurity safeguards.