Dubai partnership to explore feasibility of autonomous air vehicles

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Air Navigation Services (Dans) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which outlines their cooperation and coordination in the field of autonomous air vehicles. The MoU is said to be part of the authority’s strategy in exchanging experiences and knowledge with Government and semi-Government agencies in areas of competence with common goals.

Ahmed Hashem Bahruzian, Executive Director of the Public Transport Corporation and head of the Autonomous Aerial Vehicle project team at the authority, said that the memorandum aims to coordinate the study of legislation and laws related to the field of autonomous air vehicles. 

He added: “The memorandum of understanding comes within the framework of our strengthening procedures for the Dubai Strategy for Self-Driving Intelligent Mobility, which aims to convert 25 per cent of the total mobility trips in Dubai into self-driving trips through various means of transportation by 2030, in addition to achieving integration between transportation.”

Ibrahim Ahli, Deputy Executive Director of Dans, said: “We express our pride in the partnership with the Roads and Transport Authority, and our cooperation, which will result in enhancing the objectives of the strategies and directions of our wise leadership in the field of smart mobility, and supporting self-driving means.” He noted that the Dubai Air Navigation Services Corporation will invest its capabilities and expertise to serve the objectives of the Dubai Government in the field of smart air mobility as one of the future strategies.

He added: “We in the organisation have a creative culture supported by a team that includes a diverse group of experts in the field of aviation, which constitutes a guarantee in achieving our common goals with the authority, as air vehicles constitute a major axis in the vision of the state and the Emirate of Dubai for intelligent air mobility.”