UAE will become first in ME to test driverless cars on its roads, says Mohammed

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a request submitted by the Interior Ministry to begin testing self-driving cars on the UAE's roads, becoming the first country in the Middle East and the second worldwide to adopt the procedure.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, tweeted on Tuesday “The UAE will be the first country in the Middle East and the second globally to test self-driving cars on its streets. Our goal is for this type of vehicle to be safer, safer and more reliable. We are awaiting the report of the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Office of Artificial Intelligence, for the results of the tests, to take the appropriate decision.”

Later during the day, the UAE Cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, approved a temporary licence to test self-driving vehicles, a move that comes as a part of the government's continuous efforts to adopt advanced technologies within all sectors.

Sheikh Mohammed chairs Cabinet meeting at Expo 2020 Dubai on Tuesday.

Testing autonomous vehicles comes within the UAE strategy to become a global leader for attracting innovation and advanced technology applications.

The testing process will be carried out through the RegLab, an initiative by the General Secretariat of the Cabinet that provides a safe test environment for legislation that will govern the use and applications of future technologies.