Dubai 3D City Project

Aysha Abdulla Mohammed
GIS Data Analyst
Dubai Municipality,
UAE
Email: AYSHAAM@dm.gov.ae


Abstract:
Dubai Municipality adopts the hi-tech means of displaying Dubai City & Emirate in three dimensions. Geographic Information System Center will cooperate with French Concept Digital Solutions Company for this. The 3D City project is not only a computer-generated model but in fact a management, marketing and communication system. This paper discusses the benefits of Dubai 3D City project, phases & requirements, 3D modeling process and the applications.

Benefits of having Three Dimensional Cities:

Building a complete virtual city in 3D is not only a computer/3D project it’s a management, marketing and communication project. Demonstrating Dubai city in three dimensions will:

  • Help to Manage different departments of the emirate of Dubai such as municipality, police, security, fire department, infrastructure developments, maps editing and roads planning, projects implantation and visualization.
  • Help to Advertise business and tourism with the most powerful tool, very close to reality.
  • Build a very simple, useful and powerful communication network for online booking, online appointment
  • Show the entire world the wonders of Dubai interactively on the web, to power Dubai in the future.
Dubai 3D City Project Requirements:

Geographic Information System Center will be responsible of:

  • Providing pictures of the city as available.
  • Providing maps as available.
  • Providing data on existing 3D objects as available.
  • Providing Full publicity of the project (TV advertises, newspaper, radios and billboards).
  • Linking the project on the Dubai municipality websites.
  • Giving French Concept Digital Solutions Company exclusivity on the project in Dubai and all the cities with the Municipality for 6 years.
  • Contacting and informing all municipality departments about the project to be helpful collecting information.
Phases of the Project (aims & requirements of every phase):

a) The 5 phases
Phase 1 (April 2005 to January 2006)

  • Collection data about Dubai.
  • Ground pictures and arieal views.
  • Temporary website for information and referencing.
Phase 2 (January 2006 to October 2006)

  • Development of different level of navigation through satellite maps according to different altitudes.
  • Development of the roads in Dubai in real 3D, main and secondary roads.
  • Development of the main buildings of the city.
  • Development of the artificial lands such as islands.
  • Development of the 21 parks of Dubai.
From June 2006:

The map of Dubai will be available on the website according to 3 level of navigation to be able to deliver information about the different areas of Dubai ( Deria, Bur Dubai, Hatta, Jebel Ali).
Also a locator system and the thematic maps will be available from June.

  • Locator systems for 300 buildings.
  • Locator systems for roads and districts.
  • Thematic maps
    • Government
    • Free Zones
    • Parks
Phase 3 (October 2006 to January 2007)

  • Full locator system for the main buildings.
  • Full locator system for the roads of the full emirates.
  • Company locator for the companies who registered on the portal.
  • All the different options to visualize a company, buildings, parks and apartments will be online, such as picture gallery, video, 3D animation, virtual visit, etc…
Phase 4 (January 2007 to January 2008)

  • Update the new roads, bridges, buildings and also increase the level of details.
  • Edit a DVD of Dubai with a locator plus a dynamic navigation and 3D animation of the full city that can be sale in shops and airport.
  • Edit a hard copy 3D map of Dubai to sell in shops, airport, etc… also different maps according to the thematic maps.
Phase 5 (June 2008)
  • Updating dates.
  • Increase level of details.
  • Open Dubai Promotion Center in Geneva with virtual reality center including real time navigation plus promotion program.
  • Launch the navigation system for virtual visit of Dubai link to wireless connection available with Etisalat.
  • This product will be available for car (3D GPS) navigation and soft portable screens through a new technology.
The Future:
In the future we will continuously update the product with new technologies according the market demand and the technology development.

  1. Dubai Night and Day
  2. 3D GPS
  3. Digital Map (on LCD pliable screen connected by Wireless)