The UAE has positioned itself as a leader in autonomous mobility, transforming its cities into centres of excellence for the future of transportation, an industry report said.
By merging advanced infrastructure with strategic partnerships, the UAE is also setting a benchmark for the adoption of autonomous systems, according to the latest edition of the Autonomous Mobility Journal of Arthur D. Little.
Pioneering future transportation solutions
The journal’s report, which highlighted the UAE’s advancements in autonomous transport, said with successful pilot programmes and a firm commitment to innovation, the nation is building a mobility ecosystem that balances operational efficiency with sustainability goals.
“The UAE’s achievements in autonomous mobility reflect its vision of blending innovation with implementation success,” said Samir Imran, Partner, Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality for Arthur D. Little Middle East.
“It highlights how forward-thinking regulations and investments in infrastructure are critical to creating a future-ready mobility ecosystem,” he said.
Imran said whether through its regulatory frameworks or its readiness to embrace new technologies, the UAE is setting a benchmark for how nations can turn autonomous mobility into reality.
The journal’s report said the UAE’s commendable progress in the sector comes at a time when scaling these technologies to meet real-world demands has proven challenging despite autonomous mobility has been at the forefront of global transport innovation over the past decade.
Complex infrastructure needs, regulatory hurdles, and integration costs have slowed progress globally, it said.
Globally, the report highlighted advancements like Baidu’s extensive robo-taxi operations in China, which conducted over 800,000 rides in Q4 2023 with 45 percent being fully driverless, and Waymo’s driverless rides in the US, illustrating how nations are pushing the boundaries of autonomous mobility.
In the UAE, the report said WeRide, a leading autonomous technology company, has also contributed to the region’s advancements.
“The key enablers of autonomous vehicle implementation are connectivity, technology, funding, commercialization, and regulation,” Tony Han, CEO of WeRide, told the Autonomous Mobility Journal in an interview.
“The stability and reliability of the autonomous driving system and integrating software and hardware require the joint efforts of participants with different roles in the industry chain. In particular, multi-party collaboration is required in the early stage of vehicle design,” Han said.
Autonomous mobility: UAE’s blueprint
The report said Dubai and Abu Dhabi have positioned themselves as pivotal testing grounds for autonomous vehicle technology.
“In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Cruise, has led a series of successful robo-taxi pilots, demonstrating the viability of integrating autonomous technologies into complex urban environments.
“Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi has emphasised innovation in public transportation with WeRide’s robo-buses, which have been instrumental in addressing last-mile connectivity challenges and alleviating urban congestion,” it said.
The report also said autonomous mobility in the UAE is poised to deliver substantial economic and environmental benefits.
“Research reveals that solutions are expected to ultimately reduce congestion-related delays by 60 per cent,” it said, adding that these gains align perfectly with the UAE’s broader objectives of increasing urban efficiency and reducing carbon footprints.
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