Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a preliminary agreement with Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving company, to start pilot trials of driverless vehicles in the emirate by the end of the year.
The partnership aims to pave the way for the full commercial roll-out of autonomous taxis by 2026, in line with Dubai's goal to convert 25 per cent of all trips to self-driving transport modes by 2030.
The agreement was signed on Sunday by Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, chief executive of RTA’s public transport agency, and Ann Shi, vice president of Pony.ai, in the presence of senior officials including RTA director general and chairman Mattar Al Tayer and Pony.ai's chief financial officer Dr Leo Wang.
Mr Al Tayer said the collaboration supports Dubai's broader vision to be a global leader in the field of autonomous mobility. “Operating autonomous taxis will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors in Dubai, improve road safety, and offer greater convenience in daily mobility across the emirate,” he said. “It also supports our first and last mile strategy, improving access to and from public transport.”
He added that “autonomous mobility has become a present reality”, with global companies rapidly advancing technologies and software to support self-driving vehicles.
Pony.ai, which recently unveiled its seventh-generation autonomous vehicle platform developed with Toyota, Gac and BAIC, equips its vehicles with advanced artificial intelligence and a suite of sensors, including lidars, radars and cameras, to navigate varied weather and road conditions.
Dr Wang said the partnership with Dubai reflects the company's global ambitions. “The collaboration with Dubai RTA exemplifies our commitment to deploying Level 4 autonomous technology in strategic global markets.”
Level 4 autonomy refers to vehicles that can operate without human input in pre-defined conditions or geographic areas.
Founded in 2016 and with headquarters in Silicon Valley and Guangzhou, Pony.ai has conducted more than 25 million kilometres of autonomous driving globally, according to the company’s public disclosures. It operates robotaxi services in cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Irvine, California.
Dubai has been exploring autonomous transport since launching its Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy in 2016. Previous initiatives include autonomous shuttle trials in Downtown Dubai, an autonomous air taxi trial with Volocopter in 2017, and a driverless vehicle showcase during Expo 2020. The RTA has also worked with Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, to explore wider use of autonomous taxis.
Abu Dhabi has also been testing self-driving taxis on Yas and Saadiyat Islands through partnerships with Bayanat and WeRide. In recent months, the UAE has accelerated its adoption of self-driving technologies across multiple sectors, including defence.
A local company is developing an autonomous hybrid military vehicle aimed at competing with global leaders such as Tesla. In the aviation sector, Emirates Group's dnata is piloting autonomous ground service vehicles at airports.
The RTA's latest agreement adds to a growing list of partnerships with global tech firms, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading hub for innovative, efficient, and sustainable transport. Despite no disclosure yet on specific pilot locations or fleet details, the move signals the city’s increasing readiness to embrace driverless mobility.
