SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Drones have been helping Abu Dhabi plant millions of trees. Now the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has brought the technology to ADIHEX, allowing the public to try it for themselves.
At EAD's pavilion, visitors can operate a drone simulation that shows how the technology scatters seeds across the emirate.
"This just showcases some of the work that we actually do in planting large areas and large quantities of seeds," said Fatima Al Hemeiri, an analyst at EAD.
Nearby, an AI-powered robotic simulation sorts seeds and evaluates them. "This simulation is generated by AI. It can take out the seed and determine if this seed is viable or not viable," Al Hemeiri explained. This tech display, the expert said, presents how the team has been leveraging technology to protect and preserve the environment.
Al Hemeiri said that with the UAE taking up more advanced technologies, the same momentum is being channelled into safeguarding nature. “As we move forward — based on the directions of the United Arab Emirates in leveraging technology and advancing — we’ll be using this technology in protecting and preserving our environment and natural habitat.”
Heritage and Sustainability
Besides EAD, Tadweer Group is also at ADIHEX demonstrating how new technology is being paired with long-held practices about resource stewardship.
At the group’s pavilion, the ‘Legacy of Sustainability’ exhibit shows how traditional Emirati practices of conserving and reusing resources can help cut waste today.
It's the group's first year with a stand at the event, something CEO Etienne Petit said reflects the link between the UAE's heritage and its sustainability goals. "We are in the section of sustainability. Waste is a resource, and I'm always saying it's a resource for everybody, and it's starting from the community."
Tadweer is aiming to divert 80% of waste from landfill by 2031, backed by new waste-to-energy and treatment infrastructure designed so materials discarded in one place can be recovered as resources elsewhere.
Eleven landfills are set to close by 2029, a move Petit said will help cut air and visual pollution and limit plastics spreading into the desert. Future engineered landfills are intended to better protect surrounding environments, including groundwater.
For Petit, the modern approach is rooted in something older. "The idea of the group is that sustainability should continue to live. So I'm in direct line with the heritage of the country and the creation of the country."