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.
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Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
UPI facts
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
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