In a leap for autonomous transport in the UAE, Abu Dhabi has secured insurance for self-driving vehicles in the city, a senior official said on Monday.

Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President and secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council is aggressively addressing regulation and insurance issues for the autonomous ecosystem.

“For example, we brought a platform here to drive autonomous cargo around the city. We did aggressive testing in the field, and then gradual pilots, zone by zone. The company was shocked that we managed to do it in 45 days. There was no insurance for unmanned threats (before). In a week, we sorted out all the insurance here. Now the cars drive with insurance,” he said at the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit 2025 on Monday. Al Bannai did not elaborate on the details of the insurance.

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Autonomous vehicles currently operate in many areas of the UAE capital. Flying taxis will also take off in Abu Dhabi in the near future as the country aggressively pushes for new technologies. Insurance has been one of the key obstacles when rolling out these new modes of transport - both in the UAE and globally.

Addressing companies who work with autonomous cars, drones and robots, Al Bannai said,“Do not waste your time in any other country. This is the city to be in. This is the place to be in.”

“We are now building our own robotics AI model and autonomous platforms in that regard. Our leadership has made it very clear - we are not just showing a picture of one car moving around. Starting 2026, we will be a frontier country when it comes to this race - not following, (but) leading the race,” he said.

While speaking during an interview on the topic of“Designing the Autonomous Future: From Human Vision to Machine Action,” Al Bannai elaborated that unlike other cities or countries that are only talking about the concept of autonomy and what it can do the future, the autonomous council in Abu Dhabi has been driving for it to happen in the real world.

Abu Dhabi is aiming to make 25 per cent of trips autonomous by 2040, and Al Bannai believes that some sectors will even surpass this target.

While delivering a welcome note, Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman, Department of Municipalities & Transport – Abu Dhabi, said the UAE Capital is now recognised as a destination where the future is not just imagined, but created, tested, and deployed.

“Many cities are drawing up road maps for economists, achievements. There is a talk of pilot schemes, long term visions, and technologies still in laboratories. Here in Abu Dhabi, that future is already on our roads, in our skies, and embedded within urban planning. Our recent ranking as the fifth best Smart City globally in the Smart City Index demonstrates that our vision is delivering tangible results. We have risen nine places in just five years through our decisive actions and building the foundations for advanced technology and genuine transformation. We are embedding innovation into the fabric of daily life. We have launched a series of pioneering initiatives that have moved autonomy from concept to practice,” he said.

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