His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, along with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, recently inaugurated the Dubai World Self-Driving Transport Exhibition. This remarkable event, organized by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), highlights Dubai’s ongoing commitment to advancing innovation and future-driven technologies within the emirate.
At the heart of this initiative is Dubai’s ambition to solidify its status as a global hub for cutting-edge technology and innovation. Guided by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai is on a mission to become the most future-ready city in the world—the best place to live and a leading adopter of innovations that significantly enhance the quality of life for its residents.
A major focus of the exhibition was the unveiling of the unified visual identity for self-driving vehicles, branded under the name ‘Dubai Future Ride.’ This new look symbolizes Dubai’s pioneering role in autonomous mobility and sets the stage for a future where smart, AI-powered vehicles will be an everyday reality. These self-driving vehicles are designed to offer passengers a high-tech, interactive experience with entertainment screens driven by artificial intelligence.
The event brought together 55 leading exhibitors showcasing state-of-the-art innovations in self-driving technology. Among the highlights were the first regional appearance of TENSOR’s self-driving vehicles and XPENG’s autonomous aircraft, showcasing the diversity and scale of Dubai’s ambitions. Several companies and consortia participating in the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport also presented their cutting-edge technologies, underlining the emirate’s dedication to fostering global partnerships and technological advancement.
In tandem with the exhibition, three prominent global companies—Baidu Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai—have commenced pilot operations featuring over 60 self-driving vehicles in the communities of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. This pilot phase represents a pivotal step toward launching a fully operational self-driving taxi service in Dubai, expected to debut commercially without drivers by 2026.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA, provided a detailed briefing about the new ‘Dubai Future Ride’ brand, emphasizing its role in unifying the autonomous vehicle experience across the city. This initiative aligns with Dubai’s broader Self-Driving Transport Strategy 2025–2040, a comprehensive roadmap targeting a significant increase in autonomous transport use. The strategy envisions raising the share of trips made through self-driving vehicles from the current 20.4% to 25% by 2030, eventually reaching 36% by 2040.
This ambitious vision forms a crucial part of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the emirate’s economic size and reinforce its leadership across emerging technology sectors, including AI and digital innovation. Dubai’s integrated approach encourages research and development, attracts international investments, and embraces the latest technologies to maintain the city’s competitive edge in global transformation.
Overall, the Dubai World Self-Driving Transport Exhibition stands as a testament to the emirate’s dedication to pioneering sustainable, smart mobility solutions. By fostering creative collaborations and showcasing technological breakthroughs, Dubai is positioning itself as a global leader in autonomous transport, paving the way for a smarter, safer, and more efficient future of urban mobility.
