UAE Will Have the Largest Fleet of Driverless Taxis and Vans After China

The UAE is preparing for a major leap in driverless transportation; over 10,000 self-driving taxis and vans are set to operate nationwide in 2027. Faisal Al-Bannai, advisor to the President of the UAE and Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, announced at the AI Everything Abu Dhabi event that orders for these vehicles have already been placed, and the number of autonomous vehicles will scale up to thousands. He stated that if this program is implemented, the UAE will become the largest operator of driverless taxis and vans in the world after China. Al-Bannai explained that self-driving taxis are currently operating on a smaller scale in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and their technology has passed testing and validation phases. Abu Dhabi has expanded its commercial Level 4 self-driving taxi services in Yas Island, and Dubai has launched these services in areas including Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah. However, the UAE's program is not limited to vehicles. According to Al-Bannai, thousands of robots are also set to be deployed across various locations in the country next year, ranging from inspection and monitoring to hospitality and public spaces. This development is part of the UAE's broader plan to enter the era of 'Physical Artificial Intelligence,' where AI extends beyond software and takes control of vehicles, robots, and real-world equipment. These statements were made during the two-day AI Everything Abu Dhabi event held at the ADNEC exhibition center on October 6 and 7. Source: Gulf Times