By: Economy Middle east

The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), in partnership with global company Autotech and AD Ports Group, announced on Friday that it has overseen the pilot operation of autonomous logistics and freight trucks in Abu Dhabi.

The project is the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East and North Africa in the operation of autonomous trucks for logistics and freight transport purposes, reflecting the expansion of autonomous systems applications across various modes of transport in Abu Dhabi.

The announcement comes only a day after the center launched Tesla’s Advanced Self-Driving road trials in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi expands application of autonomous systems to key sector

Abu Dhabi Mobility explained that the project focuses on evaluating the operation of autonomous trucks within a defined industrial and logistics environment. Pilot trips were conducted along dedicated routes within the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD, in accordance with approved regulatory frameworks and operational standards.

In 2025, the developer, under Abu Dhabi Mobility’s supervision, worked on adapting AI-based autonomous driving systems to local road requirements and logistics transport needs, ensuring safe and seamless operations in line with the highest safety and operational efficiency standards, and assessing the technology’s readiness for deployment in a real-world environment.

“This project represents an important regulatory milestone in advancing the smart mobility ecosystem in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It reflects the center’s direction towards expanding the application of autonomous systems to include freight and logistics transport, alongside passenger transport. Through these pilot initiatives, the center is committed to evaluating technical solutions within safe and structured operational frameworks, supporting the development of future policies and regulations based on real-world data and practical experience,” said Dr Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility).

Project to improve freight transport efficiency across industrial zones

The project forms part of the center’s efforts to support the smart and autonomous mobility ecosystem in the emirate and enhance the readiness of regulatory frameworks to adopt innovative solutions that serve the supply chain and logistics sector.

It contributes to improving freight transport efficiency and enhancing operational performance across economic and industrial zones, in preparation for the transition to the commercial deployment of autonomous logistics services.

“These initiatives contribute to enhancing the efficiency of the transport ecosystem, supporting the competitiveness of economic sectors, and reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading regional hub in adopting smart mobility solutions and autonomous systems, in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031,” added AlGhfeli.

Abu Dhabi Mobility reaffirmed its commitment to continuing collaboration with local and international partners to enable high-quality pilot projects in smart mobility, support responsible innovation that balances technological advancement with safety and sustainability requirements and serve the emirate’s economic and societal needs in both the near and long term.