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DUBAI // Aerial drones could be used to deliver vital documents and medicines within a year.

Two prototypes of the small, unmanned craft were unveiled at the Government Summit on Monday.

“What these things are best suited for is delivery of small, light value things that are time sensitive, like medicines, identification documents, vital papers and things of that nature,” said Dr Noah Raford, special adviser to the Office of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

“Technology is moving very fast. Largely like any design, this is an experimental process and we are testing various ideas and options and looking to explore how they will be useful, and making sure we can cover some of the contingencies so we can use them some day for government delivery.”

Abdulrahman Alserkal, the Emirati engineer who designed the project, said fingerprint and eye-recognition security systems would protect the drones and their cargo.

Dr Raford said the UAE would be able to use drones for civilian purposes, unlike in other countries where they had run into problems.

“The issues are not technical but regulatory. We have lot more freedom to design a regulatory system that is safe and responsible and achieves the 21st-century goal to deliver advanced services.”

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