Country Profiles » United Arab Emirates

Country Profile: United Arab Emirates

Country Resources

Topographic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
United Arab Emirates 1:50,000 Scale Topographic MapsMilitary Survey Department1:50,0001
United Arab Emirates 1:50,000 Scale Topographic Maps (Metric)Military Survey Department1:50,0001991 – 199120
Oman 1:100,000 Scale Topographic Maps (RGS)Royal Geographical Society1:100,0001972 – 19721

Geoscientific
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Oman 1:1,000,000 Scale Geological MapsDirectorate General of Minerals1:1,000,0001993 – 19931
Oman 1:250,000 Scale Geological Maps Open UniversitySultanate of Oman1:250,0001983 – 19831

Thematic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
The World 1:30,000,000 Scale Topographic Map Series 1145 (NGA)DMA1:30,000,0002

Global Census Archive: GIS Census Data

East View Geospatial has an ongoing effort to add GIS census data to our Global Census Archive program. Please contact us for the status and availability of United Arab Emirates census resources.


Global Resources

Topographic
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Soviet Military City PlansVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)Varies1944 – 20033017
Soviet Military 1:100,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:100,0001947 – 199924897
Soviet Military 1:200,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:200,0001949 – 200917799
Soviet Military 1:500,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:500,0001953 – 19983093

Nautical
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
NGA Nautical Charts POD Certified (All Scales)National Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyVaries1943 – 20134517

Aeronautical
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Joint Operations Graphic (JOG) 1:250,000 – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:250,0001958 – 20074204
Tactical Pilotage Chart (TPC) 1:500,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:500,0001967 – 2006598
Operational Navigation Chart (ONC) 1:1,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:1,000,0001969 – 2001243
Jet Navigation Chart (JNC) 1:2,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:2,000,0001971 – 1999117
Global Navigation and Planning Chart (GNC) 1:5,000,000 Scale – AeronauticalDefence Mapping Agency1:5,000,0001981 – 199927

Geoscientific
SeriesPublisherScaleYearsSheets
Soviet Military 1:1,000,000 Scale Topographic MapsVoenno-topograficheskoe upravlenie General’nogo shtaba (Soviet Union)1:1,000,0001948 – 19941089

Note: East View Geospatial is continuously sourcing new resources that may not yet be listed in Global Explorer. Please contact us if you have geodata needs beyond what is listed above and we will be happy to discuss available off-the-shelf and custom solutions.


Historical Country Mapping Information

Jump to: Topographic | Nautical | Geological/Scientific | Atlas | Tourist/Reference

Topographic

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven internally self-governing emirates independent since 1971. Topographic mapping was compiled in the 1960s by the British Directorate of Military Surveys (DMS) (now Military Survey). A 1:50,000 scale map (Series K763) in 155 sheets was completed in 1969, DMS also compiled a 62-sheet 1:100 000 scale map and 1:250 000 scale coverage conforming to JOG specifications. Limited 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 scale coverage was published in new series produced with Syrian assistance in the early 1980s. In 1982 an indigenous national mapping program was approved and a military Survey Department was set up by the Emirates armed forces to establish a new geodetic network, commission new aerial photographic coverage and produce new bilingual topographic series mapping. New 1:50,000 scale coverage was published as orthophoto mapping between 1989 and 1991, showing relief with 10 m contours and covering the whole country in 138 sheets on the UTM projection, Clarke 1880 modified ellipsoid. Smaller scale series were derived from these data. Civilian official mapping is currently carried out by the Survey Section of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and has included 1:5,000 scale coverage of all the developed coastal areas of the country, as well as a 1:25,000 scale series of northern parts of the UAE. The municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai have all established urban GISs to help them plan development.

Soviet military topographic mapping of the United Arab Emirates is available at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (4 sheets, complete coverage, published 1979-1982); 1:500,000 (5 sheets, complete coverage, published 1977-1982); 1:200,000 (26 sheets, complete coverage, published 1975-1981); 1:100,000 (58 sheets, primarily complete coverage, published in 1978) and city (1:10,000) topographic mapping of Abu-Dhabi and Dubai published between 1977 and 1979. These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.

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Nautical

Hydrographic charting of Emirates waters is carried out by the British Hydrographic Office (HO).

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Geological/Scientific

The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources compiled a variety of earth science mapping in the late 1970s. This included monochrome 15-sheet 1:100,000 scale coverage, and full color maps at 1:250,000 scale in four sheets, 1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000 scales.

More recent thematic coverage of Dubai has been derived from satellite imagery by the United Kingdom National Remote Sensing Centre Ltd (NRSC). A total of 31 1:25,000 scale image maps of the Emirates were produced in digital, photographic and lithographic media. Seven thematic database layers were compiled from these data and field sampling: geology, geomorphology, soil, hydrology, land use, erosion and vegetation data are held in an ARC/INFO GIS forming the basis for environmental planning in Dubai.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company celebrated 20 years of production with the publication in 1991 of the Energy map of the United Arab Emirates, published in association with Petroleum Economist (PE), London.

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Atlas

The National atlas of the United Arab Emirates was published in 1993 by GEOprojects, in association with the University of the United Arab Emirates and numerous government agencies. This includes over 150 topographic and thematic map plates, mostly at 1:1,500,000 scale, as well as more detailed case study areas mapped for many topics and an index to geographic names.

Cadastral mapping of Jordan is the responsibility of the Department of Lands and Survey. It is involved in a major conversion project to establish an ARC/INFO-based digital land information system, which has included the capture of 23 000 cadastral maps in the period 1995-2000.

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Tourist/Reference

Frontline, Sharjah publishes simple tourist mapping of Emirates cities.

GEOprojects also publishes a number of maps of the UAE in its Arab World map series. A general map of the Emirates is regularly revised and includes numerous city maps and tourist information. In addition larger scale mapping is published for the most significant urban areas in the Emirates covering Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

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Content copyright © 2014 De Gruyter for e-version of World Mapping Today, 2nd Edition