The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is preparing to begin trials for the first passenger transport service using autonomous vehicles in the Middle East this month, prior to rolling it out in other regions and cities across the United Arab Emirates. According to Bloomberg, G42, an artificial intelligence services company, in collaboration with the Mubadala Investment Fund affiliated with the Abu Dhabi government, will initiate these trials using five autonomous vehicles covering nine locations on Yas Island, which features many major entertainment centers.
The report indicates that the second phase of the trials will cover additional locations across the city of Abu Dhabi, while G42 plans to later launch a dedicated application for this service, allowing users to book rides through it. Earlier, the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi stated that it is working in coordination and cooperation with strategic partners to develop an integrated and sustainable transportation system that enhances the quality of services provided to the emirate's residents and visitors and achieves its objectives, according to the local newspaper Al-Ittihad.
Earlier this year, Cruise LLC, a self-driving car unit primarily owned by General Motors, signed an agreement to start operating driverless taxis in Dubai in 2023. The company plans to operate a small number of vehicles in two fleets for a year and aims to deploy 4,000 Origin driverless vehicles in the emirate by 2030.
