The gadget will alert home owners about leakage and pipes bursting, to prevent wastage.

Cities across the UAE are introducing smart living solutions for residents in public as well as private spaces via gadgets aimed at covering different aspects including security, mobility and online transactions for payment of bills among other activities, to pave the way for a futuristic way of life in the Middle East's tech hub. But even as urban spaces in the region are winning accolades for their proactive approach towards integrating solutions like AI and cloud computing into the infrastructure, calculated consumption of crucial resources like water and electricity remain the key towards sustainable development.

Deployment of smart metres in cities like Dubai, has allowed residents to monitor their consumption, while authorities have also provided them with devices that spot leaks and also adjust water pressure, to make sure that households can prevent wastage of water. After introducing high-tech solutions like air pods for transportation, the Emirati city of Sharjah has joined its future-ready peers in the gulf, by installing ultrasonic metres that are capable of flagging irregularities to save water in the dry terrain.

Created by tech firm Kamstrup, the smart home gadgets serve multiple purposes, as they are capable of highlighting a leakage or a burst pipe, while automating the process of taking readings on a regular basis. To start off, Sharjah's water and power authority SEWA has installed these metres in more than 2500 connections, and now the devices will continue to serve people for their life span of 16 years.

The static metre doesn't have any moving parts, and is protected against water entering the mechanism, so that it can accurately notify customer care operators about anomalies in the distribution network.

Apart from the UAE, such systems have been employed in Saudi Arabia and will soon be available for residents of Oman, as the gulf moves towards a smarter future. Private tech firms are also marketing smart pumps in the UAE, to regulate water pressure and efficient distribution to make optimum use of the resource.