Dubai will be the first outside of America to operate self-driving cruise vehicles…

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai has just announced some interesting news: the signing of an agreement between Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Cruise, a leading US-based autonomous vehicle company that will operate self-driving taxis and ride-hailing services in the emirate.

The agreement will make Dubai the first non-US city in the world where Cruise will commercially operate these vehicles.

Sheikh Hamdan took to his official Twitter account to announce the news.

These self-driving vehicles are expected to significantly improve road safety levels as over 90 per cent of accidents are due to human errors. The vehicles are all-electric, environmentally friendly and capable of serving a wide range of clients from different community segments, including seniors and people of determination.

The agreement will support Dubai’s 2030 vision for self-driving technology.

His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, signed the agreement on behalf of RTA. He expressed his happiness at the agreement and stated that the agreement was a multi-year process.

He stated, ‘Cruise’s technology, resources, purpose-built vehicle, automaker partnerships, approach to safe testing and deployment and strategy give them the ability to launch safely and faster than any other company.’

He added, ‘Preparations for the launch of the self-driving service will start shortly’ with a limited number of vehicles starting in 2023 increasing to 4,000 vehicles by 2030.

It will begin in specific areas and the vehicles will be fitted with state-of-the-art sensors to monitor road conditions, and controls to avoid collision with any objects – even with those the human eye cannot see.

We can’t wait to see the first of these vehicles being rolled out!

Images: Sheikh Hamdan social