New Waterway Monitoring Centre Opens in Abu Dhabi

The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) has activated a new Waterway Monitoring and Control Centre to strengthen maritime safety and improve oversight of public water transport across Abu Dhabi.

Launched in partnership with Abu Dhabi Maritime, part of AD Ports Group, and supported by the National Guard, the centre uses smart systems and predictive analytics to monitor maritime services across more than 45,000 square kilometres of waterways. The platform tracks public transport services, vessel movements and marine traffic in real time.

The centre manages more than 40 public maritime services through official digital channels while monitoring vessel journeys and occupancy across more than 1,500 public berths. It also oversees ferry and water taxi operations, coordinates wreck and debris removal, issues marine notices and enforces safety regulations across more than 100 public and private maritime facilities and approximately 3,600 recreational vessels.

Its infrastructure includes nearly 2,000 navigation aids and sensor-equipped smart lanterns, comprising 1,063 lateral marker buoys, 367 beacons, 227 signage buoys and 62 shallow-water signage boards.

As part of the rollout, authorities have deployed four new patrol boats to conduct daily waterway surveys, supported by 16 radar stations, 29 CCTV cameras at key maritime locations, more than 400 cameras across maritime facilities and 17 VHF communication devices.

Headquartered on Saadiyat Island with a satellite site in Al Dhannah in the Al Dhafra Region, the centre is intended to improve maritime mobility, strengthen public safety and support faster emergency response across Abu Dhabi's waterways.