UAE Cabinet Approves First National License for Self-Driving Vehicles

The UAE Cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the first national license for self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads.

The license was granted to the autonomous vehicle company WeRide which will start testing all types of self-driving vehicles in the country.

Making the announcement H.H Sheikh Mohammed said:  “Today, in the Council of Ministers, we approved the national policy for electric vehicles, which includes building a national network for electric vehicle chargers, regulating the electric vehicle market.

“We also approved today, within the Council of Ministers, the first national license for self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads, which was granted to the specialised WeRide company.”

Testing autonomous vehicles comes within the UAE strategy to become a global leader for attracting innovation and advanced technology applications. The UAE will be the first country in the Middle East and the second globally to test the application of self-driving vehicles.

The testing process will be carried out through the RegLab, an initiative by the General Secretariat of the Cabinet that provides a safe test environment for legislation that will govern the use and applications of future technologies.

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