Summit
Highlights Use of Modern Drone Technologies

Muscat,
18 Aug (ONA) — A summit was held here today on “Using Modern Drone
Technologies” to discuss the practical applications of drones in water and
sanitation, electricity, telecommunications, and urban planning. It also
reviewed the latest innovations in this field.

The
opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Eng. Hamad Ali Al Nazwani,
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning for Housing.

Organised
by the Ibn Firnas Drone Center, the summit saw the participation of leading
figures and experts from across the government, private and military sectors.
The summit comes as part of Oman’s efforts to promote the use of modern drone
technologies and maximise their development benefits, while empowering
start-ups to invest in promising technology sectors.

The
event comes in line with efforts to position Oman as a regional hub for the
drone industry. The event will become an annual platform to assess progress and
showcase the latest innovations, opening broad horizons for the Omani economy
in knowledge-based sectors, digital transformation, smart cities and artificial
intelligence.

It
is worth noting that the Ibn Firnas Drone Center is the first specialised drone
centre in the Sultanate of Oman, having carried out more than 200 practical
projects in Oman, supplied the local market with over 1,000 drones, and logged
more than 7,000 flight hours. The centre provides integrated solutions covering
sales, maintenance, training, industrial applications and anti-drone/radar technologies,
making it a comprehensive hub for drone technologies in Oman.

The
summit saw the first Middle East launch of the DJI Matrice 400 (M400) drone,
produced by global UAV leader DJI.

The
event included a live demonstration of the aircraft and its capabilities in
aerial surveying, 3D mapping, and its applications in urban planning,
utilities, energy, telecommunications, agriculture and security.

This
is the first summit of its kind in Oman to keep pace with the Fourth Industrial
Revolution and future technologies, particularly in the drone domain, offering
an annual platform for innovation, cooperation and knowledge sharing between
national institutions and global companies. The event supports Oman’s position
as a regional centre for knowledge and technology, while supporting Oman Vision
2040 goals for a diversified, innovation-driven economy.

—Ends/AG