AMSTERDAM, 21st April, 2019 (WAM) -- Lt. General (Retd) Dr. Khalifa Al Romaithi was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Geospatial World Forum 2019 recently held in Amsterdam.

According to Geospatial World, Al Romaithi has been instrumental in advancing the geospatial profession in the Middle East, and is considered as the ‘Father of Geospatial Community’ in the UAE and the region.

"Having served as head of Military Survey, it was his leadership which facilitated the establishment of NSDI in UAE and encouraged and supported similar initiatives in the region as early as 2004," it added.

Recognising the growing value and demand for geospatial information for governance and development, Dr. Al Romaithi championed the availability of geospatial data through civilian organisations like Bayanat LLC.

The UAE Space Agency was also established under his leadership, which brought momentum to the field of space infrastructure and policies in the region.

While pursuing his mission of institution building, Dr. Al Romaithi also chaired the Space Reconnaissance Centre, an organisation entrusted with the development of space applications for development and security.