First in the Middle East and third in the world; VR technology used for simulation, operational process, training and maintenance

Dubai, 7 February 2022:  Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, inspected the Virtual Reality (VR) Training Hub at the Sewage Treatment Plant in Jebel Ali. This vital technical project, first of its kind in this field in the Middle East and third in the world, comes as an embodiment of the Municipality's ambitious plans to keep pace with modern and advanced systems, especially the Artificial Intelligence technology.

Increased productivity and reduced costs:
Al Hajri was briefed on the center that employs VR technology in managing the sewage network and treatment plants, simulation purposes, operations training and maintenance work for the equipment and devices in it, with the aim of developing these operations and works on an ongoing basis.  

The center aims to increase employee productivity in treatment plants by up to 7%, as a result of developing the skills of employees undergoing training on the VR system, in addition to the contribution of specialized training programs supported by VR technology in reducing human errors by 50%. It results in savings in maintenance costs and operation, at a rate equivalent to 5% of the budget allocated for this. It also contributes in reducing the emergency downtime of equipment and the treatment process by 30% in a way that is reflected in the quantity and quality of treated water. 

Project implementation stages and methodology:
The project implementation phases and methodology include converting 2D drawings into 3D drawings, capturing high-quality images from various angles of the plant and equipment, in addition to using laser scanning technology in the process of forming 3D drawings, to prepare interactive introductory programs that can be used for public awareness about treatment plants through these drawings. It also employs manufacturer’s instructions, experiences and daily task lists for treatment plants in the Sewage Treatment Network and Plants Department in developing specialized training programs in the field of simulating operations and maintenance of treatment plants. 

Devices, Tools and Evaluation:
The system is supported by a set of devices and tools that include virtual reality glasses, interactive screens, computers and a server to operate the system. An elite group of employees were qualified and trained to operate and follow up the system and evaluate training programs on a semi-annual basis, while reviewing the results of employee training and preparing reports on them.

Tangible benefits of the project:
Among the most important tangible benefits of the project is saving the costs of external specialized training programs and raising employee productivity at a rate of half an hour per day for each employee, as a result of shortening the time taken to do work, in addition to reducing the number of malfunctions resulting from human errors by an average of three malfunctions for every ten malfunctions, and reducing the cost of repairing faults, as well as reducing equipment downtime by three hours for every ten downtime hours.

Keeping pace with Dubai Municipality strategic objectives:
It is worth noting that this project is in line with the strategic objectives of Dubai Municipality in the field of advanced infrastructure management, as the use of VR technology contributes to raising the operational efficiency of the sewage treatment network and plants, which is an essential part of the infrastructure in the Emirate of Dubai, in addition to the strategic objective related to managing assets and financial resources with high efficiency. The system contributes to raising the efficiency of equipment and devices, in addition to reducing malfunctions through training and qualifying the functional staff responsible for the maintenance and operation of sewage treatment plants.