Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week begins on Monday, November 10, with industry leaders and global experts ready to tackle the most pressing issues in the sector.
The event will get under way with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, which will include discussions, panels and insights on topics such as regulation, integration and scale, alongside the latest advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and smart mobility.
The summit will place Abu Dhabi's role as a global leader in autonomy sharply into focus, with a highlight on the emirate's role in driving autonomy innovations from pilot initiatives to public benefit across land, sea, air and robotics, as well as industrial applications, state news agency Wam reported.
"It is not just about technology, it is about reimagining mobility, industry and the human experience itself,” said Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President for strategic research and advanced technology affairs and secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council.
The event reflected the UAE’s commitment to shaping the era of intelligent autonomy – where machines think, adapt and act alongside humans, he added. The summit is to feature 13 sessions with more than 30 speakers, with a goal of "enhancing collaboration among policymakers, operators, investors and innovators", as well as translating regulation into real-world applications.
The summit opens with a leadership dialogue on the role investment, integration and innovation will play in shaping Abu Dhabi’s autonomous economy, mapping commercialisation pathways to 2030 and 2040, the public-private partnerships that will enable them, and the governance and infrastructure that will support resilient, integrated cities, Wam reported.
“Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week reflects the emirate’s vision to redefine the future of mobility by setting new global benchmarks for innovation and progress," said Mohamed Al Shorafa, chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport. "By advancing pioneering solutions across land, sea and air, we are not only promoting smart, safe and sustainable technologies, but changing how the world moves.”
Debating the future
The event also features a panel discussion called Regulating Autonomy that "will put safety first, exploring key topics from cyber security and data governance to public trust and accountability".
The agenda also includes a look at deployment with an event called From Concept to Reality, which will highlight scalable solutions such as robotaxis, public transport and last-mile delivery models, Wam added. This will followed by the Powering Autonomy discussion, which addresses the electrified infrastructure at the heart of city-wide operations.
Other panels include Human-AI Synergy and AI-Driven Decision-Making, which will include topics such as real-time AI systems across drones, smart roads and logistics, as well as secure cloud platforms.
The Cross-Sector Collaboration session will showcase how mobility, energy, logistics and technology leaders could structure partnerships to unlock practical, bankable use cases.
Designing Smart Ports & Cities will explore autonomy-ready urban design and industrial applications, with Urban Air Mobility addressing "certification, airspace integration and the connection between ports, airports and urban districts".
The Smart Cities in Action session will share live case studies and the Financing and Insuring New Asset Classessession is to offer insights into "how capital and coverage models will adapt for next-generation platforms".
“Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week reflects our vision to build a dynamic, innovation-driven economy where technology and investment work hand in hand to drive progress," said Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.
"In 2023, we launched the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry cluster as part of our efforts to future-proof our economy. Empowered by a business-enabling ecosystem, Abu Dhabi stands as a global hub where the future of intelligent mobility and the industries that power it take shape.”
The summit is not the only event taking place during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week. The DRIFTx exhibition will feature "smart and autonomous mobility solutions across air, land, sea and robotics in a live, interactive setting", from November 10 to 12.
RoboCup Asia-Pacific, running from November 10 to 15, is hosted by Khalifa University and will see international teams competing in AI-driven autonomous robotics challenges.
The final day, November 15, features the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, a motorsport challenge featuring the latest advancements in autonomous racing technology.
This page was produced by The National in partnership with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
