Driverless cars may hit UAE roads in 2021

Driverless vehicles may hit the UAE roads in 2021 as the UAE is preparing to become the first country in the world to have regulations on autonomous vehicles, a top official told WAM on Monday.

“We will announce the first draft of the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles on Tuesday in the 5th International Conference on Future Mobility to be held in Dubai, “ said

Abdulla Al Maeeni, Director-General of Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA).

The conference will discuss the draft, and if it is approved, the UAE will be the first country in the world to have the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles, he said in an interview on the sidelines of the annual UAE Government Meetings in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE is expected to issue the final standards and regulations in 2020, and accordingly autonomous vehicles may enter the UAE market within one year afterwards by 2021, he explained.

Apart from the ESMA’s regulations for autonomous vehicles, relevant authorities in related sectors such as insurance, finance, city administration etc. have to also issue regulations in this regard, the official clarified.

The UAE was the first country that formulated standards and regulations for hydrogen cell vehicles and electric cars in the region, Al Maeeni said. Likewise the UAE has been a pioneer in issuing standards and regulations for many products, he said.

The certifications issued by the ESMA for various products have helped the UAE exporters to enter new markets across the globe, the official revealed.

Earlier in August, a delegation from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) visited several universities and start-ups in Taipei, Taiwan, and Sydney, Australia, participating in the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport.

The tests were meant for participants in the second (start-ups) and third-tiers (Academia – International), and were restricted to entities shortlisted for the challenge, following a series of theoretical and field assessments. “The RTA visited several Sydney Technology Universities and start-ups (iAuto) to assess the models they have developed for solving first and last-mile challenges, that is the ability to provide easy access to residential and other destinations, while addressing security and safety requirements.

WAM