Etihad Airways and ROX, an AI mobility company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaboration, starting with ROX’s Africa Grand Tour S2 overland journey.
Under the agreement, the Etihad brand will appear on the ROX ADAMAS vehicle used in the tour, with the two companies also working on co-branded content and marketing around the initiative. The MoU was signed during the opening of ROX’s Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre in Abu Dhabi.
The Africa Grand Tour S2 is a long-distance overland drive across Africa designed to put the ADAMAS through varied terrain and destinations while generating content around mobility and exploration. For Etihad, the initiative offers a loose framework to consider how air travel might connect with ground mobility and on-the-ground destination experiences.
“The Africa Grand Tour is an interesting starting point, bringing together travel, mobility, destinations and storytelling in a way that could create opportunities for both brands. From Abu Dhabi, Etihad connects people to a growing global network, and we are always interested in new ideas that can enhance how people experience the places they travel to. This MoU gives us the opportunity to assess where there may be a natural fit with ROX and what a future collaboration could look like,” Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways said in a statement.
“ROX was founded with a vision of developing intelligent mobility solutions that connect people, technology and destinations in new ways. The Africa Grand Tour is an exciting starting point, and we look forward to exploring the wider possibilities that this collaboration could unlock across intelligent mobility, travel and lifestyle. The meaning of adventure lies in going beyond. Etihad Airways connects the sky, while ROX explores the land. Both brands believe that the journey itself is a way of life. We look forward to this collaboration opening the door to a wider world for more people,” Yan Feng, Chief Executive Officer of ROX added.
Beyond the Grand Tour, the MoU sets out a broader framework for the two companies to explore shared interests across mobility, future travel experiences, lifestyle and destination-based initiatives. No commercial terms or timelines were disclosed.
