Driverless cars to be tested in Ras Al Khaimah communities
RAKTA and RAK Properties partner to test autonomous vehicles at Mina.
Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah is set to host real-world trials of self-driving vehicles, with residential communities and mixed-use developments at Mina chosen as testing grounds under a new partnership between the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) and RAK Properties.
The agreement will allow autonomous vehicles to be tested in actual urban conditions at Mina, RAK Properties' flagship waterfront destination, to assess their performance, safety and readiness for potential deployment across the emirate.
The partnership was announced at the launch of Ras Al Khaimah's Autonomous Mobility Framework and Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox initiative, organised by RAKTA in the presence of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
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The event brought together government officials, private sector representatives, autonomous mobility companies, and academic and research institutions.
Under the agreement, Mina's residential communities and mixed-use developments will serve as real-world testing grounds for autonomous vehicles and advanced smart mobility solutions.
The trials will assess how self-driving vehicles perform in different urban environments and identify the requirements for their safe and practical use. The evaluation will take into account safety standards, technical and regulatory requirements, as well as the specific operating conditions of each location.
Engineer Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi, Director General of RAKTA, said testing autonomous mobility technologies in real-world conditions was a crucial step in assessing their readiness for practical deployment.
He said partnerships with property developers provided an opportunity to test advanced transport solutions in diverse urban settings and evaluate their performance under actual operating conditions.
The partnerships will also help identify potential applications for advanced mobility technologies, while ensuring compliance with approved technical and regulatory requirements and maintaining the highest safety standards, he added.
Al Blooshi said RAKTA would continue working with its partners to expand real-world testing and evaluation of advanced mobility solutions, taking into account the operational requirements and specific characteristics of different environments.
Sameh Muhtadi, Chief Executive Officer of RAK Properties, said the partnership under the Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox initiative would allow the latest transport technologies to be tested and assessed across Mina's expanding urban landscape.
He said Mina's masterplan was focused on creating a modern destination that meets the needs of residents and visitors, with emerging technologies playing an important role in developing services that enhance everyday life.
Integrating advanced technologies and future mobility solutions would help make transport more convenient and accessible, Muhtadi said.
He added that RAK Properties was proud to contribute its infrastructure expertise to support the testing and exploration of autonomous mobility technologies.
