Roads & Transport Authority - News Details

The session Dubai’s Path to Autonomous Taxi Deployment, moderated by Dr. Ismail Zohdy, Self-Driving Transport Expert at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), explored the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the operational efficiency of self-driving taxis and ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction. The discussion also underscored the importance of public–private partnerships in accelerating the adoption of autonomous mobility.

Dr Hua Zhong, Senior Vice President of Engineering at WeRide, a leading developer of autonomous driving technologies, said that international conferences and forums provide a vital platform for sharing knowledge and expertise, while also raising awareness of the software systems powering autonomous vehicles.

Ammar Albreiki, Chief Operations Officer at Dubai Taxi, highlighted the importance of building customer trust, noting that such vehicles undergo meticulous manufacturing and maintenance processes supported by rigorous risk assessment and mitigation.

Guest speaker Ann Shi, Vice President of Pony.ai, a company specialising in reliable autonomous driving technology, highlighted the importance of customer-centricity, ensuring continuous platform updates to meet user needs, and pursuing expansion through partnerships with reputable companies in the self-driving taxi manufacturing sector.

Mohamad Jardaneh, Head of Autonomous Mobility for Uber in the Middle East, showcased the significant successes the company has achieved in the UAE and explained how platform technologies have enabled more flexible and faster services for customers in both passenger and freight transport.