Why Abu Dhabi Doubled Down on CCTV Surveillance

In late 2014, an Abu Dhabi woman in an abaya and a niqab—the black garments that some Muslim women wear to cover their body, head, and most of their face—stabbed an American woman to death in a shopping mall bathroom. The killer sped off in an SUV whose license plates were obscured by an Emirati flag. Though she and the plates were covered, Abu Dhabi police were able to capture her within three days. The reason: the masses of CCTV cameras in the city tracked her movements.

That most are deterred from committing crimes, knowing they’ll likely be caught, has given Abu Dhabi a reputation for being safe. This hasn’t stopped the government from going further in a quest for security. Last week, officials announced the installation of an even more advanced surveillance system, dubbed Falcon Eye. It receives a live feed from thousands of linked CCTV cameras across the capital, and can generate warnings based on the data as well as grant quick access to it.