Abu Dhabi's ITC oversees launch of self-driving trucks’ project

 The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), affiliated with the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi, announced its supervision of the launch of a pilot project for operating self-driving trucks in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with "Autotech,” a global company specialising in developing self-driving vehicle systems, in addition to Abu Dhabi Ports Company, within the Khalifa Economic Zones – Abu Dhabi (KEZAD).

The project is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region in the field of operating self-driving trucks for logistics and cargo transport purposes, reflecting the expansion of self-driving system applications to include various modes of transport. It focuses on evaluating the operation of self-driving trucks within a specific industrial and logistical environment, where trial runs were conducted on dedicated routes within KEZAD areas, in accordance with approved regulatory frameworks and operational standards, ITC explained, adding that during 2025, the developing company, under the supervision of the Centre, worked to align AI-based self-driving systems with local road requirements and logistical transport needs, ensuring safe and smooth journeys, in accordance with the highest safety and operational efficiency requirements, and evaluating the technology's readiness for operation in a real environment.

This project comes within the efforts of the ITC to support the smart and autonomous transport system in the emirate, contributing to raising the efficiency of cargo transport and improving operational performance in economic and industrial zones, and paving the way for the transition to the commercial operation phase of autonomous logistics services.

Dr Abdullah Hamad Al Ghafli, Acting Director General of the ITC, said: "The project reflects the Centre's direction towards expanding the scope of self-driving system applications to include the cargo transport and logistics sector, in addition to passenger transport. These initiatives contribute to enhancing the efficiency of the transport system, supporting the competitiveness of economic sectors, and consolidating Abu Dhabi's position as a leading regional hub in adopting smart transport solutions and autonomous systems, in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031."