UAE develops AI system to improve emergency response time
A global system that responds to distress signals from a device, which can even be implanted into a watch, could rescue people from emergencies much faster thanks to technology developed by the UAE. The artificial intelligence-powered platform, which has been in its testing phase in the country, was revealed at a meeting of international experts held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
'The AI dashboard will be able to differentiate between false alarms and real ones,' said Hamad Albadry from the National Search and Rescue Center (NSRC). 'It has taken over a year to develop this one of a kind system. We are proposing to take it to the international community so that we can achieve faster response times for emergencies.'
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Cospas-Sarsat meeting which began in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. This is the first time that this event is being held in the UAE. Over the next ten days, delegates from various entities will hold meetings to discuss how to increase cooperation and cut down the time needed to respond to emergencies.
An international organisation that provides space-based relay of distress signals, or alerts, from emergency beacons, Cospas-Sarsat provides alerts to search and rescue (SAR) authorities internationally. More than 45 countries and international organisations are members of it, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The UAE has been a member since 2009 and the NSRC is the only entity authorised to receive and process satellite distress signals in the country.
The organisation only monitors alerts from a digital distress beacon that transmit on 406 MHz, which is picked up by satellite systems and is then relayed to the nearest national SAR unit of its member countries.
AI dashboard
According to Hamad, the distress beacon can be implanted into something as small as a watch, if needed. 'If the person is in distress, he can send out the alert from his watch and the NSRC will respond if its in this area,' he said.
A mechanical engineer by profession, Hamad was the brain behind the AI dashboard that he developed while working towards his doctoral degree in AI. He said the system, which has been tested for the last year or so at the NSRC, has already seen a positive results. 'We have ground systems that need to be maintained 24-7,' he said. 'This AI dashboard is able to alert us when the system is degrading. In some cases it can even fix itself.'
Importance of cooperation
According to Saif Alkaabi from the NSRC, such meetings will improve cooperation between member nations and help those who are in distress. 'The most prominent challenges while doing SAR include the difficulty in accessing remote areas, diverse geographical environments and reliance on inaccurate data in some cases,' he said. 'Such meetings are essential for standardizing and exchanging expertise. It also showcases the UAE as a global center for preparedness and innovation in rapid response.'
Established in 2013, the NSRC is a federal authority that provides land, maritime, and aerial search and rescue services. It conducted over 1,200 rescue missions during 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, covering land and maritime rescues, medical evacuations, and real-time responses to distress alerts.
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