ASSESSMENT FOR RAK-GIS (PILOT)

n consonance with the vision of H. H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qassimi, the Crown Prince, the Deputy Ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, RAK-EGA has successfully managed to implement the Ras Al-Khaimah GIS (RAK-GIS PILOT) software, started on under direct supervision of EGA who participated in designing the pilot modules. 
 
Dr Hashem Ar-Refaei and Dr Muhammad Bulhamam conducted a detailed Acceptance Review of the RAK-GIS (Pilot) software at a week-long meeting held in July, 2007 and the RAK experts accepted the software. The RAK-GIS (Pilot) was formally completed on July 5, 2007.

Checked by the Project Manager who with the implementer the delivered items included a set of 5 CDs containing the Application, GIS database and Manuals and Software code. All documents and presentations related to the project till now were also included in the 5th CD. 2 sets of the CDs and printed version of User Manuals were handed over in the package.

The GIS Project manager and committee director reviewed the detailed final design and modules of RAK-GIS (Pilot) and also of the GIS database design. The functionality of the 9 modules was discussed and evaluated on the system by the RAK experts; the readiness of each of the 9 modules was also reviewed. The assessment included Sector 2 and 3 GIS database of the RAK and explained the process of migrating AutoCAD to GIS. The automated modules developed for Data Migration process and error tracking. After exhaustive critical discussions and review, The GIS Project manager Dr Hashem and GIS committee director Dr Mohamed made a set of 32 final recommendations – all of which were implemented and finalized and again experimented. After evaluating the final version, the RAK-GIS (Pilot) software was accepted.

After the exhaustive technical acceptance review by Dr. Hashem Ar Refaei and Dr. Mohamed Bualhamam, the RAKGIS (PILOT) draft version 1.0 was cleared for implementation and accepted.

The database had been created for the 9% area of RAK (sector 2 and 3) in SDE Enterprise Geo-database from the AutoCAD and Access tables and integrated in RAKGIS (PILOT).

RAK-GIS (PILOT)

The RAK-GIS has a GIS database for Sector 2 and 3 of RAK – almost 9% of RAK and contains all Road features, all Water and water body features, all Airport features, all Building features (Residential, Public, Industrial etc), all vegetation features (trees, groves etc), all utility features (power, water-distribution, sewerage etc), contours and DEM layer, all plots/parcels, other features (not includable in above categories – bill-boards, traffic signals etc), all administrative units and ortho-images from specific aerial surveys and satellite images.

RAK- GIS (Pilot) has 9 key GIS Applications and works on the 9% GIS database of RAK City area. The 9 modules are as follows:

	General Map Handling Module – allowing for basic display and querying operations
	Map Publishing Module – allowing for publishing displayed maps in standard templates
	LIS Module – allowing for land records applications
	RAK-Plan Module – allowing for Plan related actions on the RAK-Plan data
	Sewerage Management Module – allowing for basic management on sewerage network
	NOC Module – which will allow applying and tracking NOC applications on land allotments
	Project tracking Module – which will be able to track status of projects on-going in RAK
	Site plan application – allowing for applications, approvals and monitoring the building site plan applications
	Admin Module – addressing all administration aspects of the GIS application.

RAK-GIS TRAINING

A month-long Training was organized to 63 RAK officials in RAK in August, 2007. RAK officials were trained on GIS, Mapping and also given detailed exposure to RAK-GIS (Pilot) modules. All 63 trainees were awarded Certificates of Merit for their performance.

RAK-GIS NEXT STEPS

RAK-EGA is now ensuring the successful implementation of the RAK-GIS (Main) – which will cover the full RAK and will include a new GPS-Survey for a spatial framework; fresh aerial image collection at 15 cm resolution and a new suite of 7 GIS Applications. This project is already on its way and RAK-EGA is closely monitoring and supervising the progress.

Additionally the EGA ensure to have the function which is expected within implemented.