• Cruise Origin driverless taxis will be deployed on Dubai's roads in late 2023. All photos: Nick Webster / The National
    Cruise Origin driverless taxis will be deployed on Dubai's roads in late 2023. All photos: Nick Webster / The National
  • Inside a Cruise driverless taxi. Seats face each other and the vehicles can seat up to six people, with ample room for luggage.
    Inside a Cruise driverless taxi. Seats face each other and the vehicles can seat up to six people, with ample room for luggage.
  • The 10 automated taxis supplied by US firm Cruise will begin to carry passengers in late 2023.
    The 10 automated taxis supplied by US firm Cruise will begin to carry passengers in late 2023.

Dubai’s driverless taxis on show at Gitex before 2023 introduction


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Self-driving electric taxis — set to be on Dubai’s roads next year — will go on display at the Gitex technology exhibition, which opens on Monday.

The driverless cars will be shown off by the Roads and Transport Authority during the five-day Gitex Global event at the World Trade Centre in Dubai.

The Cruise Origin vehicle will be introduced as a taxi service next year, making Dubai among the first cities, apart from some in the US, to include self-driving cars in its transport offerings.

The Origin will be deployed in limited numbers next year to offer taxi and e-hail services
Mattar Al Tayer,
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority chief

As part of a public-private partnership with US company Cruise, two Chevrolet Bolt electric cars equipped with cameras and sensors have already mapped out the streets of the Jumeirah neighbourhood.

The RTA said in August that rigorous testing would be carried out before adding the self-driving taxis to its fleet.

The high-resolution map of the physical environment in Jumeirah that began earlier this year used Cruise’s technology to collect data that would be continuously updated.

Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA’s director general, said this was an example of how the transport authority would successfully incorporate artificial intelligence and emerging technology to boost productivity.

“This [mapping] is in preparation for the launch of the actual service by 2023, rendering Dubai the first city in the world to commercially operate Cruise self-driving vehicles outside the US Cruise’s next-generation self-driving vehicle. The Origin will be deployed in limited numbers next year to offer taxi and e-hail services," he said.

“We have plans to increase the number of deployed vehicles gradually to reach 4,000 by 2030.”

Transport officials earlier said that 10 autonomous vehicles would first be deployed in late 2023 in the first phase.

The tie-up with Cruise for its first international robotaxi service outside the US was announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Twitter last year.

“Dubai will be the first outside America to operate self-driving Cruise vehicles, in fulfilment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision that Dubai is always in first place and the best city to live and work,” Sheikh Hamdan said in April 2021.

“Our goal is to convert 25 per cent of the total ... trips in Dubai to self-driving trips through various means of transport by 2030.”

The ambition of the Dubai authorities is to offer several autonomous drive options for residents and tourists to choose from as part of a wider strategy to revolutionise transport.

Mr Al Tayer said the aim was to improve the quality of life and position Dubai as the world's best city to live in.

The autonomous cars are part of Cruise’s fleet of commercial driverless vehicles operating in San Francisco.

The overall aim of using electric self-drive options is to cut crashes, emissions and congestion.

At Gitex, the Dubai Taxi Corporation will also display vehicles fitted with screens on which riders can watch the news or play games.

Electric cars create digital map of Dubai for first driverless taxis - in pictures

  • Two Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles have joined emirate's public transport fleet under a partnership with US firm Cruise. All photos by RTA
    Two Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles have joined emirate's public transport fleet under a partnership with US firm Cruise. All photos by RTA
  • The vehicles will help create a digital road map for the autonomous fleet.
    The vehicles will help create a digital road map for the autonomous fleet.
  • A limited number of the self-driving taxis will be deployed in 2023.
    A limited number of the self-driving taxis will be deployed in 2023.
  • Dubai aims for 25 per cent of all transport journeys to be made autonomously by 2020.
    Dubai aims for 25 per cent of all transport journeys to be made autonomously by 2020.
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What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.

Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.

People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.

There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.

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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House 

ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope 
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold 
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph 
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck

Brief scores:

Toss: South Africa, chose to field

Pakistan: 177 & 294

South Africa: 431 & 43-1

Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0

UAE SQUAD

 

Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani

Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas

Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah

Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue

Sri Lanka's T20I squad

Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.

Updated: October 09, 2022, 12:07 PM