News
Dubai Community Launches AI-Powered Pedestrian Crossings
The new safety system can activate flashing signs, lights built into the road surface, and traffic signal controllers.
A new AI-powered pedestrian crossing has been developed by Dubai-based specialists Derq. The new system will be installed in a local neighborhood as a smarter method to warn pedestrians and vehicles of potential conflicts.
The AI-based crossing will use behavior prediction models to anticipate potentially harmful scenarios and then deploy flashing signs, in-road warning lights, and traffic signal controllers to alert anyone in the vicinity of danger.
The system will also collect data to enhance road user awareness and the effectiveness of authorities’ responsiveness to safety problems and traffic performance. The technology has taken two years of rigorous testing to bring to fruition.
The crossing is equipped with ultra-high speed 5G connectivity, enabling data collection of safety events and traffic while allowing for remote operation, maintenance, and re-configuration. In the future, the system will leverage 5G technologies to communicate safety information and alerts to connected vehicles approaching the crosswalk.
Also Read: Abu Dhabi-Backed Tech Sculpture To Be Installed In Houston
Muammar Al Katheeri, chief officer for engineering and sustainability at Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), explained: “This system serves as a cornerstone in cementing DSO’s position as a technologically advanced zone, offering residents and business partners a seamless and intelligent living and working experience. Through our longstanding partnership with Derq, we will continue to make remarkable progress in ensuring pedestrian safety and advancing Dubai’s smart city agenda”.
According to Dr. Georges Aoude, co-founder and CEO of Derq, the new AI-powered pedestrian crossing system aligns with Dubai’s vision to establish itself as a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly city with a range of eco-friendly transportation options.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
