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Abu Dhabi accelerates autonomous mobility push with 29 commercial partnerships

The emirate is building one of the world’s most advanced regulatory and testing ecosystems for AI-driven mobility, from high-speed racing labs to city-wide delivery pilots

Andrea Benito
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Published: 11 Nov 2025 12:00

Abu Dhabi has unveiled 29 commercial deployment agreements for autonomous mobility technologies, signalling the emirate’s strongest move yet to position itself at the forefront of next-generation transport and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven logistics.

Announced by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) during the first Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (ADAW), the agreements span land, air and industrial applications, and bring together companies including K2, LODD Autonomous, Autologix, Sinaha, TractEasy, MLG and Space42. More importantly, they represent a coordinated national effort to build a full-stack ecosystem, combining R&D, regulation, infrastructure and commercialisation to accelerate autonomous systems from pilot to deployment.

While cities across the US, Europe and Asia are conducting isolated trials, Abu Dhabi is developing what officials describe as an integrated, multi-modal autonomy environment. Overseen by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC), the framework establishes unified rules and testing conditions across drones, ground robots, autonomous cargo vehicles and AI-driven electric fleets.

“Abu Dhabi is leading the transformation in smart mobility and logistics,” said ADIO director general Badr Al-Olama. He described the 29 agreements as “a defining moment, where autonomous technologies begin to function as a viable and vital part of the global economy”.

The projects span e-commerce delivery with Talabat, Noon and Aramex; cold-chain medical transport with PureLab; logistics and robotics pilots with Sinaha; and the deployment of Level 4 autonomous cargo vehicles through a partnership between Autologix and Emirates Post. These initiatives operate within a shared regulatory and cyber security framework, with infrastructure designed to allow large-scale, city-wide assessment of how autonomous vehicles interact with roads, airspace and industrial zones.

Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week: a platform for global collaboration

Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week is the emirate’s new strategic platform for smart mobility and autonomous systems, and is organised by SASC, ADAW connects policymakers, researchers, founders and global manufacturers across land, air, sea and robotics. The week includes the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, DRIFTx, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025, and the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).

ADAW reflects a shift in Abu Dhabi’s industrial strategy: rather than adopting autonomy once it matures, the emirate aims to shape the standards, engineering practices and safety frameworks that will guide the technology globally. One of the clearest examples of this approach is A2RL, the world’s first high-speed, AI-only motor racing league. A2RL is designed as a research platform for AI, robotics and autonomous mobility.

In an interview with Computer Weekly, Stéphane Timpano, CEO of Aspire, the ATRC organisation behind A2RL, said the initiative is redefining how autonomy is tested: “Abu Dhabi is turning racetracks into laboratories. Every lap, every overtake, every algorithmic decision is a glimpse into the future of mobility.”

A2RL vehicles use a standardised, Super Formula–derived chassis equipped with a UAE-designed sensor stack, an onboard compute platform and a real-time perception system. Teams compete solely on algorithmic performance.

The races replicate stresses autonomous vehicles will face on public roads: GPS dropouts, sensor faults, unpredictable human manoeuvres and split-second decisions at speeds exceeding 250 km/h. Insights feed directly into the Advanced Technology Research Council’s (ATRC) research arm, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), and into commercial pathways through VentureOne.

“A2RL is deeply embedded in the UAE’s innovation ecosystem,” Timpano said. “What we learn on the track moves into logistics, smart city planning, and even climate-tech applications.”

Beyond racing, Abu Dhabi is constructing a vertically integrated deep-tech model: Aspire sets challenge-led programmes and grand competitions, TII develops foundational research in AI, autonomy, robotics and advanced materials, and VentureOne commercialises breakthroughs through startup incubation and global investment. This alignment allows research, regulation and commercial deployment to progress simultaneously.

The emirate’s autonomous mobility pilots illustrate the model in action: K2 is deploying AI-enabled electric vehicles for last-mile and middle-mile delivery, LODD is flying medical and logistics drones across Abu Dhabi’s air corridors, and Sinaha is scaling autonomous ground vehicles and intelligent warehouse automation.

Technology adoption is only part of the strategy, Abu Dhabi is also building the workforce needed to sustain an autonomous future. A2RL’s STEM programmes are training Emirati students to code drones, develop AI flight controls and build autonomous systems. A recent UNICEF partnership trained more than 100 Emirati students in drone design and AI-assisted navigation, with 60% obtaining international drone operator certification.

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