(MENAFN- Robotics & Automation News) Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit to focus on regulation, deployment and urban-scale rollout

November 5, 2025 by Sam Francis

Abu Dhabi has announced the programme for its first Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, a new high-level forum designed to shape global policy and industrial strategy for autonomous systems across land, sea, air and robotics.

The one-day summit, held on 10 November 2025, will open Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week – a six-day series of events that also includes the DRIFTx smart mobility exhibition, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 and the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).

Organised by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC), the summit aims to bring together policymakers, technology leaders and investors to translate regulatory frameworks into commercial deployment at scale.

The programme features 13 sessions and more than 30 speakers from global technology companies, mobility operators and government agencies.

Discussions will centre on aligning policy, capital and infrastructure to support real-world autonomous operations, with sessions covering AI safety, standards, cyber-security, human-AI trust, urban air mobility, port automation, smart cities and cross-sector industrial integration.

The event will open with a leadership dialogue on investment and governance models for autonomous systems, followed by a panel on regulatory frameworks under the theme“Safety First, Then Scale”.

Other sessions will examine robotaxi deployment, electrified infrastructure, explainable AI, edge-enabled logistics, and financing and insurance models for new autonomous asset classes.

Senior figures scheduled to take part include executives from Microsoft, WeRide, Archer Aviation, LIFT Aircraft, BENTELER Mobility, Glydways, SteerAI, Versa Aerospace, Tensor and BEAM Global, alongside government and research leaders from Abu Dhabi's technology ecosystem.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said:“Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week reflects our commitment to shaping the era of intelligent autonomy – where machines think, adapt and act alongside us. It's not just about technology; it's about reimagining mobility, industry and the human experience itself.”

The week will also host the first Middle East edition of RoboCup Asia-Pacific, bringing together international robotics teams, and the second edition of A2RL, which features a US$2.25 million prize pool and autonomous racing teams from 10 countries.

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