Abu Dhabi has introduced a dedicated licence plate system for autonomous vehicles, marking a regulatory step toward formalising the emirate’s self-driving ecosystem under the oversight of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council.
The Integrated Transport Centre, an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport operating under the Abu Dhabi Mobility brand, issued the new plates in two categories.
Vehicles providing commercial autonomous driving services will carry plates displaying the phrase “Auto Drive”, while those operating within testing and pilot programmes will display “Test”. Both formats share a unified blue design intended to make autonomous vehicles immediately identifiable on public roads.
The distinction matters operationally. Authorities will be able to differentiate between commercial deployments and trial activity at a glance, supporting roadside monitoring and enforcement. The plates are also tied to the licensing and technical standards that operating companies must meet, giving regulators a direct link between a vehicle on the road and its approved operational framework.
The rollout coincides with active expansion of autonomous vehicle activity in the emirate. A photograph of two AutoGo-branded vehicles, carrying sequential plates numbered 23011 and 23012, shows the system already in use.
Both cars bear branding for Momenta, the Chinese autonomous driving technology company, and are fitted with roof-mounted LiDAR and additional sensor hardware. One is a white SUV, the other a two-tone white-and-gold sedan consistent with a BYD platform. Their sequential plate numbers suggest registration as part of the same fleet.
Officials said the plate data will feed into broader policy development, allowing authorities to collect and analyse operational information as deployments scale. The system is designed to grow with the sector, covering both the commercial services already running and the testing programmes conducted by specialised companies operating in Abu Dhabi.
