Ras Al Khaimah has launched a formal framework for autonomous mobility, with the emirate’s transport authority signing a partnership agreement with RAK Properties to begin real-world vehicle trials at the Mina waterfront development.
The agreement was signed at an event organised by the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) and held in the presence of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. Officials, government representatives, autonomous mobility companies, and academic institutions attended.
Under the deal, autonomous vehicles will be tested across residential and mixed-use areas within Mina, the waterfront destination currently being developed by RAK Properties. The trials are designed to assess how self-driving technology performs under real operating conditions, with safety requirements and site-specific factors built into the evaluation criteria.
RAKTA Director General Eng. Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi said that working alongside real estate developers opens up a range of urban environments for testing that would otherwise be difficult to replicate, and that the results would inform future deployment decisions within the bounds of approved technical and regulatory requirements.
“Working together with our close partners at RAKTA for the Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox initiative is a unique opportunity to observe, monitor, and stress-test the very latest transport solutions as they are deployed across Mina’s expanding urban environment. Our Mina masterplan is creating a modern cityscape that will expertly cater to the needs of residents and visitors alike. In today’s fast-moving world, this means integrating with the newest technologies and developing the best services and future applications that will support people’s daily lives by making mobility more convenient and accessible than ever. RAK Properties is proud to provide the infrastructure expertise required to explore this exciting technology to its fullest potential,” Sameh Muhtadi, Chief Executive Officer of RAK Properties said in a statement.
The launch also introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox initiative, a broader programme that will allow companies specialising in autonomous mobility to test their systems within sanctioned environments in the emirate.
