The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened Dubai Mobility Labs at Dubai Silicon Oasis, a facility it describes as the most advanced autonomous vehicle testing ground in the Middle East. The project was developed in partnership with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ).
The site combines dedicated test tracks with a multi-purpose proving ground and extends into real-world conditions on public roads running from Dubai Silicon Oasis to Al Qudra. In total, the facility supports 248 test scenarios: 195 within the controlled multi-purpose area and 53 on public roads. Of the controlled scenarios, 143 are built into the site’s core design, with a further 52 added through subsequent enhancements.
The scenarios are designed to replicate the range of situations autonomous vehicles encounter in urban environments, covering sensing and decision-making systems, interactions with other road users, and responses to changing conditions. Vehicles complete controlled testing before progressing to public road trials.
The multi-purpose area includes office and support facilities, three light-industrial units for indoor installations, and three 60 kW electric vehicle chargers. German certification and testing company DEKRA has been appointed to manage day-to-day operations for the first three years, with responsibility for safety standards and testing oversight.
WeRide, Pony.ai and Tesla have already conducted trials at the facility, the RTA said.
“The inauguration of Dubai Mobility Labs is a practical manifestation of the directives of the wise leadership to reinforce Dubai’s leadership in developing and adopting future technologies and consolidate its position as a global model for smart and autonomous mobility. As the smartest integrated ground-testing of its kind in the region, the project provides strategic infrastructure for testing the latest mobility technologies and systems in controlled and real-world environments, and for verifying their safety, efficiency and readiness before deployment on public roads,” Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said in a statement.
“Dubai Mobility Labs is one of the key pillars supporting Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to convert 25% of all mobility journeys in the emirate into autonomous trips by 2030. It offers an integrated pathway for developing, testing, validating and certifying technologies, helping accelerate a safe, orderly transition from trials to real-world and commercial deployment, while supporting the readiness of Dubai’s infrastructure and its regulatory and technical ecosystem to accommodate next-generation mobility solutions,” he added.
The facility is intended to support the Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which sets a target of converting 25% of all mobility journeys in the emirate to autonomous trips by 2030.
“Dubai Mobility Labs embodies the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to build a globally competitive, knowledge- and innovation-driven economy and strengthen Dubai’s position as a hub for industries shaping the future, by providing an integrated environment that enables global innovators to develop and test autonomous mobility technologies. Through initiatives of this kind, the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority continues to support the growth of future sectors, attract global investment and talent, and strengthen a knowledge- and innovation-driven economic ecosystem. Dubai Silicon Oasis provides an integrated environment for developing and testing advanced technological solutions, supported by smart infrastructure and a comprehensive ecosystem that helps accelerate the development of autonomous mobility technologies and their transition from testing to deployment and operation,” Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, Executive Chairman of the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) further explained.
