Dubai to Roll Out 15km Driverless Transport Zone in 2026

The zone will stretch across Al Jaddaf Metro Station, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Creek Harbour, linking three busy districts with a fully integrated system. Whether it’s a robotaxi for a quick trip, an autonomous bus for group travel, or even a self-driving abra across the creek, the idea is to give people a choice of seamless, efficient transport options.

The first phase begins sooner than you might think. Trials of driverless cabs will hit Dubai’s roads before the end of 2025, with public rides planned for the first quarter of 2026. Once live, the zone will showcase a range of smart vehicles working alongside the Dubai Metro – from road-cleaning units to logistics shuttles.

The project was confirmed at the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, where the RTA also restated its wider vision: by 2030, a quarter of all public transport trips in Dubai should be autonomous, with that figure climbing to 36 percent by 2040.

Partnerships with global tech players will help get there. The RTA is working with Baidu to gradually deploy 1,000 Apollo Go self-driving taxis by 2028, with 50 already undergoing trials and safety checks across the city.

Officials say the benefits will go beyond convenience. Reduced congestion, fewer accidents, lower emissions and greater productivity are all expected outcomes once driverless transport becomes part of everyday life. And if the first zone proves successful, Dubai could see similar hubs rolled out in other districts in the years ahead.