Dubai has taken another bold step into the future of mobility. At the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the spotlight was firmly on the city’s vision for tomorrow’s roads. The event was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, alongside His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, who both toured the exhibition halls filled with groundbreaking technologies.
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افتتح سمو الشيخ حمدان بن محمد آل مكتوم، ولي عهد دبي نائب رئيس مجلس الوزراء وزير الدفاع رئيس المجلس التنفيذي لإمارة دبي، معرض دبي العالمي للتنقل ذاتي القيادة بحضور سموّ الشيخ أحمد بن محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، النائب الثاني لحاكم دبي، وبمشاركة 55 عارضاً يستعرضون أحدث الحلول… pic.twitter.com/SpNTfQk7NC— RTA (@rta_dubai) September 24, 2025
Sheikh Hamdan stressed that Dubai’s ambition is clear: to remain a global leader in embracing and shaping future technologies. And in no field is that more evident than autonomous mobility. One of the most exciting highlights was the update on Dubai’s self-driving taxi trials. Companies like Baidu Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai already have over 60 autonomous vehicles navigating the streets of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. The city is preparing for a full commercial launch by 2026, making Dubai one of the first places in the world where hailing a driverless cab will be part of everyday life.
The congress also shed light on the long-term Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy 2025–2040. The plan is ambitious but tangible: raise the share of trips completed using autonomous modes from the current 20.4% to 25% by 2030, and push further to 36% by 2040. In a city already known for breaking records, these targets underline Dubai’s determination to lead the transport revolution.
Inside the exhibition halls, the future was on full display. TENSOR revealed its autonomous vehicles for the first time in the region, while Chinese giant XPENG wowed visitors with its autonomous drone — a flying glimpse of what mobility could look like in the years ahead. In total, 55 exhibitors showcased innovations ranging from AI-driven buses to next-generation robotics, each contributing to the bigger picture of smarter, cleaner, and safer urban transport.
This wasn’t just another exhibition; it was Dubai sending a clear message to the world: the future of mobility isn’t a distant dream, it’s already taking shape on its streets.
