CDA to use drones for meal deliveries

DUBAI — Three people of determination will help deliver more than 3,000 meals to labourers using drones, as part of the Community Development Authority’s (CDA) ‘Their Suhoor On Us’ Ramadan initiative.

With a target of distributing 32,000 meals during the holy month in Dubai and Umm Al Quwain, Halema Mohammed, head of CDA’s Youth Council, told Khaleej Times that it aims to have at least “10 per cent of the 32,000 meals delivered by drones”.

Khalfan Obaid, technical consultant at Dronetek, said the chosen volunteers will be in charge of helping “pilot and navigate the drone” during the meal distribution phase of the CDA’s volunteer initiative.

“This idea was thought up by the Youth Council. They wanted to bring in a drone to help with food delivery and they wanted the people of determination to operate it,” he said.

With one drone capable of carrying up to 10 food packages (about 10kg), the drone will be able to fly for 30 minute periods, several times a day.

“It will have pre-determined weight points and navigation points and we will train our pilots to help fly and navigate the drone to the right drop off points.”

To execute the activity well,

They (Youth Council) wanted to bring in a drone to help with food delivery, and they wanted the people of determination to operate it.” Khalfan Obaid, technical consultant, Dronetek

Obaid said the three volunteers will have to “maintain visual line of sight, announce when the drone has taken off and landed, and make sure it is on the right route”.

“They will be doing this from the control room and will have contact with the volunteers at the distribution site who are receiving the packages.

“Once the meals have been offloaded, the volunteer in the control room will then monitor the drone as it flies back to its original site.”

All three people of determination will be trained by the Sanad Academy in Dubai, with training commencing next week.