AV testing in Dubai heats up

General Motors’ autonomous driving unit has signed a contract with Dubai’s public transit agency that should see driverless ride-hailing services in action from 2023. Details remain thin at this early stage, but the agreement between Cruise and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is considered the first of its kind: rather than partnering with a Dubai-based company, Cruise has partnered with the city-state itself.

Dubai will be the first location outside of the US where Cruise will operate a commercial service; testing has been focussed in San Francisco so far. Under the agreement, Cruise will be Dubai’s exclusive provider of robotaxis through to 2029, and a new Dubai-based company will be formed to handle the deployment, operations and fleet maintenance. Both sides have confirmed the agreement.

The indication is that…