Amazon is using drones to deliver packages, while health authorities seek to use them for sending medicines.

A surge in the number of online deliveries for everything from groceries to gadgets has led to a higher demand for supply chains that can deliver packages to consumers on time, in a secure manner, prompting firms to adopt tools which can help them overcome barriers like traffic snarls and other on-road issues. The most popular solution to beat congestion in the streets, beyond smaller autonomous vans that can find their way through lanes and pavements, are drones that can glide over the streets and reach customers swiftly.

As more unmanned aerial vehicles are set to rise on the landscape of cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, some government agencies in the Middle East are already working on a smart system that'll work like air traffic control for drones, to avoid collisions. In a similar move to make sure that the flight of these delivery gadgets isn't hit by snags, Dubai's crown prince Sheikh Hamdan has launched a program to come up with the most efficient ways to use drones for security as well as delivery of food and other goods.

Following the successful demonstrations by e-commerce giant Amazon, that uses drones to deliver products in the US, firms like DHL are eyeing deployment of similar services in the Emirates now. The company piloting the solution in some parts of the country, also looks at it as a way to monitor outdoor assets and warehouses.

At the same the UAE'S department of health has launched drones to deliver medicines as well as vaccines, apart from collecting blood samples and sending out medical supplies for hospitals. The first initiative of its kind in the Middle East, will use a network of 40 sites to operate drones from, and will also glide to blood banks.

Other than that, Emirates Post is also considering drones to deliver letters and parcels in the new normal, while an e-commerce firm will use them to carry home decor along with kitchenware to consumers in the UAE.