Are autonomous vehicles the key to sustainable mobility in the region’s EV revolution?

It is 2050, and you are sitting in the backseat of a self-driving car as you gaze at Dubai’s skyline while other driverless vehicles zoom past you.

What you are envisioning is not far from reality, as the UAE, among other GCC countries, has already begun to witness the slow yet steady transition to autonomous vehicles (AVs). One might even say that the transition to AVs has been steered by the electric vehicle revolution that is sweeping through the world.

Self-driving cars are still in their infancy globally, but the Middle East region – especially GCC countries – is intent on tapping their potential as a pivotal pillar in the smart urban cities of the future, with advanced mobility systems.

This builds on the region’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the electric vehicle (EV) market as a credible pathway to emission reduction and environmental sustainability.

The growing popularity of EVs serves as a segue into the AV era, especially with a YouGov survey revealing that nearly half of UAE residents are willing to buy an AV car in the next five years if they are available.

What we see today is that there has been a fundamental mindset shift; people have consciously adopted the move from internal combustion engines to EVs and are eager to embrace AVs. This is an opportunity to be tapped with a more rigorous focus on preparing more people to explore the advantages offered by EVs and prepare them for the next leap in automotive – the AV era – that will also contribute to massive decarbonisation.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are rising stars from the Middle East in embracing driverless transportation to achieve sustainable mobility. Dubai, for instance, has begun the testing of autonomous vehicles since mid-last year, including that of self-driving taxis by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Saudi Arabia trialled its first ever electric driving vehicle last year – with set targets to convert 15 per cent of its public transport vehicles to autonomous within six years.

Read: Saudi Arabia launches trial for first autonomous electric vehicle

The kingdom’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services has also made it clear that autonomous cars will be on Saudi roads soon enough, with trials held for several vehicles in April last year.

Moreover, plans are underway for autonomous transport in megacities such as NEOM, as well as key projects including the King Salman Park in Riyadh. These efforts are set to position the Middle East as a leader in redefining sustainable urban mobility globally.

Autonomous vehicles: The big sustainability advantage

Autonomous vehicles bring a mission-critical sustainability advantage. They are not only non-polluting but also open up new possibilities. For example, ride-sharing in AVs will limit traffic congestion. AVs can also reduce accidents by at least half, minimising the chances of human error in causing fatal accidents, and injuries.

Furthermore, driverless cars will avoid needless idling, and prevent traffic-ridden roads.

Governments in the Middle East are future-proofing the automotive sector, bracing the entry for self-driving vehicles. The EV revolution, as we all know it, has already been warmly welcomed with several policies to drive up EV numbers and incentives such as free EV parking spaces, reduced registration fees, and tax incentives.

But to further drive sustainable mobility, a sound EV/AV transition will be ideal in redefining the automotive landscape. Dubai, for instance, has already set in place an Autonomous Transportation Strategy that aims to transform 25 per cent of the total transportation to Dubai into autonomous vehicles by 2030.

Positive moves have already been made to activate this. For instance, the UAE offered the first preliminary license to operate self-driving cars to China’s WeRide last year, with plans to have hundreds of driverless vehicles on roads by 2025.

In addition to policy regulations and incentives, strong collaboration is crucial between public and private sectors and government entities to successfully integrate driverless transport. This will also drive the continuous advancement and innovation of autonomous mobility technologies.

Self-driving cars are, no doubt, the future of the Middle East’s automotive sector. While it might seem to be years away from large-scale reality, AVs will play a defining role in shaping the future of sustainable mobility in the Middle East.

The writer is the EVP at OMODA & JAECOO – UAE.