ABU DHABI - Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Committee (ADSIC) launched Wednesday GIS Day in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council. A multi-sector GIS Day event will be held in the region for the first time and will be broadly attended. It will bring together leaders, decision-makers, government executives, educators, interested members of the general public and local and regional GIS technology champions under the same roof to network and share ideas and experiences.

The event will showcase the exemplary work being carried out by over 17 organizations that are leading the way in GIS development in Abu Dhabi, and will highlight the important role of the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure (AD-SDI) initiative in helping to facilitate, coordinate, support and promote cross-agency coordination and sharing of information. Representatives of all the leading agencies and institutions involved in GIS as well as ADSIC staff will be on hand to explain and show off their good work.

ADSIC will showcase the Abu Dhabi GeoPortal, a web-based system for government agencies to share over 200 layers of geographic information. This event is a must-see for anybody interested in maps and geography and the modern tools that are being used to manage the rapidly expanding and changing landscape of Abu Dhabi Emirate.

Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, said in his speech at the event: “spatial information combined with temporal dimension and mobility solutions is becoming an integral component of our daily socio-economic fabric for citizens, businesses and governments alike"

Rashed Lahej Al-Mansoori, ADSIC Chairman has stated that "Abu Dhabi is experiencing an unprecedented economic, financial and urban growth that made Abu Dhabi the focal of international attention, and geographically based information gives us the means to better understand the world around us, plan effectively and comprehensively make informed decisions, and carry out the results of those decisions in a coordinated and efficient way."