Abu Dhabi Department of Energy Launches AI Water Metres on Farms

An AI-powered Smart Metre Project to monitor and manage farm water use has been launched in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba area to reduce waste and improve distribution. The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, working with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, is connecting smart metres to its AD.WE digital platform to provide continuous measurement, analytics and real-time consumption data for farmers. The initial rollout covers 80 farms in Al Wathba, with expansion planned to Al Nahda, where 130 farms will be included, and Al Rahba, which has around 2,500 farms. The AI-driven approach is expected to cut unnecessary water use, lower operational costs for farmers, and support crop yield optimisation by matching irrigation more closely with plant requirements. By reducing over-irrigation, the system is also designed to mitigate associated negative impacts such as soil salinity and nutrient runoff.