Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, inaugurated the Dubai World Self-Driving Transport Exhibition on Wednesday. The event, organised by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), was held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sheikh Hamdan said Dubai continues to strengthen its status as a global hub for innovation and future-driven technologies. Guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate is working to become the world’s most future-ready city, the best place to live, and the fastest in adopting innovations that improve quality of life.
As part of the event, Sheikh Hamdan reviewed the unified visual identity for autonomous vehicles, branded as ‘Dubai Future Ride’, which will be applied across all self-driving vehicles in the city.
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Pilot Launch of Self-Driving Taxis
RTA announced that three leading global companies — Baidu Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai — have begun pilot operations of 60 self-driving vehicles in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. The commercial launch of driverless taxis is expected in 2026. These vehicles will offer passengers an enhanced experience with AI-powered interactive entertainment systems.
Strategy for Autonomous Mobility
The Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy 2025–2040 aims to increase the proportion of autonomous trips from 20.4% today to 25% by 2030 and 36% by 2040. Sheikh Hamdan stressed that the strategy supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to double the emirate’s economy and cement its global leadership across key sectors.
“Our goal is to present the world with a model for autonomous mobility, reinforcing Dubai’s status as a pioneer in sustainability and a living laboratory for the future,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
Global Participation
The exhibition is part of the Dubai World Congress and Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, attracting more than 3,000 participants and over 80 speakers, including senior officials, researchers, and experts in advanced mobility technologies.
This year’s edition features 55 exhibitors showcasing innovations in self-driving cars, buses, robotics, artificial intelligence, and sustainable mobility. Notable showcases included TENSOR’s self-driving vehicles unveiled for the first time in the region and Chinese company XPENG’s autonomous aircraft.
The event also displayed technologies from five global consortia competing in the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport.
Dubai’s push toward autonomous mobility marks a significant step in achieving its vision of becoming a global model for smart, sustainable, and future-ready transportation.
