(MENAFN- The Arabian Post)

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has revealed a 15-kilometre Dubai Autonomous Zone, an integrated corridor designed to link driverless land and water transport modes. The zone will stretch from Creek Station on the Metro Green Line through Al Jaddaf toward Dubai Creek Harbour and Festival City. The plan aims to weave Metro, RoboTaxis, RoboBuses, self-driving shuttles, autonomous abras, driverless logistics vehicles and street-sweeping bots into one seamless mobility network.

Officials stated that RoboTaxis will begin operations within DAZ by the first quarter of 2026, and that all seven autonomous modes should be fully functional by mid-2027. The driverless Metro is already in place and will serve as a backbone for transfers into the zone. Transfers will allow passengers to disembark at Creek Station and then take an autonomous abra to Festival City or Creek Harbour, after which a driverless shuttle or taxi will complete the trip.

The establishment of DAZ supports Dubai's ambition that 25 per cent of all transport trips will be smart and driverless by 2030. To advance that goal, RTA has struck deals with key developers: partnerships with Emaar Properties and Al-Futtaim will bring the autonomous zone into Festival City and Creek Harbour, expanding its footprint and facilitating infrastructure adaptations.

RTA also confirmed that three firms-Pony. ai, WeRide and Baidu's Apollo Go-already hold permission to conduct road tests in areas such as Jumeirah Road and Umm Suqeim, and may obtain operational licences soon. These firms are expected to be among the first providers of RoboTaxi services in DAZ.

Urban planners emphasise the technical and logistical complexity of integrating land and marine autonomous systems in a single corridor. Navigation across mixed traffic environments, sensor fusion in changing weather conditions, real-time coordination between transport modes, cybersecurity, liability frameworks and public acceptance remain central challenges.

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The municipal authority overseeing street cleaning will deploy autonomous sweeping vehicles within DAZ. These will operate alongside public transport modes to maintain cleanliness and infrastructure service without human drivers.

RTA leadership described the move as a living laboratory for next-generation urban mobility. They plan to replicate the model in additional Dubai zones once DAZ proves operational and scalable. The authority is also evaluating opportunities to connect DAZ with future initiatives including aerial transit and hyperloop networks.

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