Abu Dhabi Tests AI-Guided Delivery Vehicles

Abu Dhabi has initiated a groundbreaking pilot scheme to deploy AI-guided self-driving delivery vehicles in Masdar City, marking a major step in bringing autonomous technology directly into public life.

The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) is spearheading the trial, which uses advanced smart mobility systems to enable delivery pods that navigate urban routes without human drivers. 

These autonomous vehicles have been officially licensed — becoming the first in the emirate to receive licence plates specifically for self-driving delivery. The pilot reflects Abu Dhabi’s ambition to integrate smart transport solutions, reduce road congestion and emissions, and enhance efficiency in last-mile logistics. 

The test is part of a broader strategy to ensure that by 2040, a quarter of all journeys in Abu Dhabi will use smart transport, including autonomous systems, driverless taxis, shuttles, and other emerging mobility technologies. 

The project is a collaboration between several local partners: K2 (and its subsidiary Autogo), as well as EMX (the logistics arm of 7X). The Smart and Autonomous Systems Council and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office are also involved, underscoring the cross-sector cooperation driving this innovation. 

Officials say that beyond simply testing hardware, the initiative is part of an integrated plan aimed at improving quality of life through reduced emissions, lower traffic congestion, and smarter logistics networks.

The autonomous delivery pods, once fully operational, are expected to handle orders without human intervention, bringing convenience and sustainability together. 

The trial follows earlier autonomous transport experiments in the emirate—such as driverless taxis, a self-driving shuttle in Masdar City, and trials of flying taxis and drone parcel delivery—highlighting Abu Dhabi’s sustained focus on emerging mobility technologies.