• The UAE's first fully autonomous taxi is being trialled on Yas Island. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The UAE's first fully autonomous taxi is being trialled on Yas Island. All photos: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Phase one of the trial allows journeys to be taken around Yas Island.
    Phase one of the trial allows journeys to be taken around Yas Island.
  • Mustafa Wazir, safety officer, does not at any point actually touch the controls, but would do if it all went wrong.
    Mustafa Wazir, safety officer, does not at any point actually touch the controls, but would do if it all went wrong.
  • Inside the taxi, the route of the journey is displayed.
    Inside the taxi, the route of the journey is displayed.
  • A red button allows the safety officer to intervene in case something goes wrong in the fully autonomous taxi.
    A red button allows the safety officer to intervene in case something goes wrong in the fully autonomous taxi.
  • Gillian Duncan tries out UAE's first driverless taxi on Yas Island.
    Gillian Duncan tries out UAE's first driverless taxi on Yas Island.
  • Download the TXAI application to ride the first driverless taxi on Yas Island.
    Download the TXAI application to ride the first driverless taxi on Yas Island.
  • A passenger gets into the autonomous taxi on Yas Island.
    A passenger gets into the autonomous taxi on Yas Island.

What it's like to ride in the UAE's first autonomous taxi


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE's first fully autonomous taxi is currently being trialled in Abu Dhabi.

The project, named TXAI, consists of a fleet of ride-sharing vehicles that are available for members of the public to try out on Yas Island until December 30.

The National was at the media tour to try out the new autonomous taxi.

The first thing you notice is the enormous contraption on the roof, loaded with cameras and sensors to guide the driverless journey.

The next is perhaps somewhat unexpected for a driverless car – a person occupying the driver’s seat.

But this is a “safety officer”, not a driver.

And ours, Mustafa Wazir, does not at any point actually touch the controls, although he would in the event of it all going wrong.

Mr Wazir's hands remain poised near the steering wheel at all times on our journey. He tells us he’s thankfully never had to wrest control via the big red button in the centre console, which shuts down the system.

“It’s a very smooth system,” he says.

For the phase one trial, Mustafa Wazir sits for security purposes in the first fully autonomous taxi on Yas Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
For the phase one trial, Mustafa Wazir sits for security purposes in the first fully autonomous taxi on Yas Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

At our pick-up point outside fashion outlet Tryano at Yas Mall, we confirm our ride via the TXAI app (available on iOS and Android), which allows you to book the service.

All the cars are electric, so the drive is predictably smooth and a little slow to start with.

The cars do, however, pick up speed. The top speed is set at 90kph during the trial but cars typically do not go above 65kph, Mr Wazir says.

The car indicates and gently veers to the left as we approach the lights on our short journey to Yas Waterworld.

The ride feels safe, especially with the reassuring presence of Mr Wazir.

As we briefly slow down to join the main Yas Drive, he gives a quick glance in his wing mirror to check we are not cutting anyone up and off we go again.

In no time we arrive at Yas Waterworld, to see another TXAI being cleaned by an employee while it waits for its next passenger.

The route of the journey is displayed inside the taxi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The route of the journey is displayed inside the taxi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The cars have been busy, according to a representative from the company, Bayanat, a geospatial, data analytics and AI company in the UAE, which is running the trial.

On Monday, 100 orders were placed on the app for cars, 60 of which were ultimately cancelled.

It is not known why but some people book purely out of curiosity to see if it will work.

Sometimes customers may have to wait up to 10 minutes, so their patience may wear thin, the representative said, as there are only four cars in operation on the island. A fifth is available at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Riders can choose to go to nine points on Yas Island, which include Ikea, Yas Beach, Yas Mall, Yas Marina, W Hotel, Etihad Arena and Ferrari World, in addition to the waterpark. The full circuit is a 20km trip.

Cars are available to book until December 23, when the month-long trial phase comes to an end.

Trips are free for now and the company has yet to divulge how much trips may cost during subsequent phases, which may be extended to wider areas.

A screen in the back of the car shows a satellite navigation view of the journey.

The safety officer has another screen in front of him, which pings on our return to Yas Mall to tell us of a new booking from Yas Waterworld.

In no time we are back again at the drop off-point at Tryano and the car comes to a gentle stop.

As we leave, the car was already en route to pick up its next passenger to experience a similarly smooth journey.

While you're here
Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
if you go

Getting there

Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.

Staying there

On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.

More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr

What to watch out for:

Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways

The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof

The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history

Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure

Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WISH
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Buck%2C%20Fawn%20Veerasunthorn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ariana%20DeBose%2C%20Chris%20Pine%2C%20Alan%20Tudyk%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WWE Super ShowDown results

Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title

Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship

Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns

Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party

Randy Orton beats Triple H

Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley

Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal

The Undertaker beat Goldberg

 

Anna and the Apocalypse

Director: John McPhail

Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton

Three stars

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fixtures and results:

Wed, Aug 29:

  • Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
  • Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
  • UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs

Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman

Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal

Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore

Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu, Sep 6: Final

Scoreline:

Barcelona 2

Suarez 85', Messi 86'

Atletico Madrid 0

Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)

Updated: December 01, 2021, 11:43 AM