The UAE plans to build the largest autonomous public transportation service in the Arab world.

Abu Dhabi has become the second city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where residents and tourists can use self-driving taxis, as part of the authorities’ plan to build the largest autonomous public transportation service in the Arab world.

In the Abu Dhabi experiment, which will last till the end of the Eid Al Adha holiday, members of the public can take a free ride in one of the ten driverless vehicles supplied by the US car manufacturer Cruise and employed by Txai, a local app-based operators. 

Passengers jumping onboard an eight-seat Txai vehicle are taken for free trips around Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, two of the leading leisure destinations in the UAE.

They can then select a date, time and location for pick-up, and let the autonomous vehicle do the rest.

Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the driveless car technology. 

Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre, which is responsible for the project in the city, is pushing ahead to integrate driverless vehicles into the national transport network.

In April, a fleet of five autonomous electric cars launched for trial on the roads of Dubai as part of the same project. They transported passengers between nine stops including hotels, restaurants, malls and offices. 

Chevrolet cars adapted for driverless motion in Dubai. Credit: TheNationalNews

The Roads and Transport Authority has entered into a public-private partnership with US company Cruise to oversee the introduction of self-driving taxis. 

The project envisages the reduction of road accidents and carbon emissions, but is also about offering better comfort to passengers and attracting more tourists. The authorities hope to deploy by 2030 at least 4,000 autonomous vehicles for taxi services, which would account for 25% of all journeys in the UAE.