• 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.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Sukuk explained

Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 qualifying, 10:15am

Formula 2, practice 11:30am

Formula 1, first practice, 1pm

GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm

Formula 1 second practice, 5pm

Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Updated: December 01, 2021, 11:43 AM