Dubai Cricket Stadium could be turned into a hub of drone activity under new proposals.
The plans are the brainchild of Mohammad Aziz, CEO of Airscope, who has struck up a partnership with Dubai Sports City to launch the new drone park.
“The whole idea is to really create a dedicated space for drones enthusiasts,” said Aziz, who won the Drones for Good award in 2017 with his previous company, Sanad Academy.
“There will be a mix of loops and air gates, all automated. We want to create a full-on racing environment, just like the go-karting track, where people can bring their own car or rent a car and race around the circuit.”
Although official approval is still awaited from Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, a soft launch of the project is scheduled for next month, potentially in the indoor football stadium in Sports City. The complete launch is expected to be in September/October.
Aziz said: “The racing drones are super-fast and they’re really small and hard to control with the naked eye. Pilots will have like VR goggles so it will be a really immersive experience.”
Eisa Al Hashmi, Director of the Conformity Department at the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Meteorology (ESMA), has previously estimated the cost of closing an airport at AED 350,000 per minute. However Michael Rudolph, Head of Airspace Safety at Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, has put this loss much higher at $1 million (AED 3.6 million) per minute.
Aziz said: “We want to be able to reduce illegal flying or flying in the wrong places by attracting drone enthusiasts into a dedicated space.”
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