News

Dubai Crown Prince Takes Test Ride In Self-Driving Taxi

The Chevrolet Bolt-based Cruise AVs are helping to cement Dubai’s position as a global leader of self-driving transport.

Published

3 years ago

December 15, 2023

Nour Nasir

dubai crown prince takes test ride in self-driving taxi

Dubai Media Office

Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, recently took the first demo test ride of a Chevrolet Bolt-based Cruise autonomous vehicle (AV) in Jumeirah.

The Dubai Crown Prince was welcomed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police and a team of engineers from the RTA and Cruise. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA said, “Autonomous vehicles will play a pivotal role in offering innovative solutions for transportation challenges, curbing urban congestion, and elevating road safety. They support the RTA’s efforts to leverage the integration between mass transport systems and easing the mobility of public transport riders, providing services to many underserved users such as senior residents and People of Determination”.

cruise self-driving taxi dubai test ride

In April 2021, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Cruise entered a partnership to introduce a self-driving ride-hail service. The testing of Cruise AVs marks a crucial step toward enhancing Dubai’s position as a global leader in self-driving transport. The emirate aims to convert 25% of all mobility journeys to self-driving modes by 2030.

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In April this year, digital mapping for self-driving Cruise vehicles took place in Jumeirah 1 using the company’s HD mapping technology. Cruise initiated limited vehicle testing in October, deploying five autonomous taxis overseen by safety drivers. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority plans to soon introduce a public registration process, enabling selected residents to use the Cruise ride-hailing app.

News

For etisalat, More Bandwidth Is A Matter Of Digital Sovereignty

The etisalat group plans to expand its international capacity from 20 Tbps to more than 500 Tbps by 2030, with new routes designed for speed and resilience.

Published

2 days ago

October 6, 2026

Nour Nasir

for etisalat, more bandwidth is a matter of digital sovereignty

Emirates News Agency

By 2030, etisalat group plans to lift its international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second (Tbps), more than 25 times the 20 Tbps it has today. The group presented the expansion as preparation for rising AI demand and an important move for the UAE’s digital sovereignty.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, witnessed the launch of the project, which covers the UAE and international markets. Sheikh Mansour is also Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority, etisalat group’s main shareholder.

He emphasized the role of coordinated national efforts in advancing the UAE’s AI and digital economy ambitions. “AI is a central pillar in our development journey moving forward,” he said, adding that developing the country’s digital capabilities would empower every institution, public and private, to build and innovate with AI “at the scale the coming decade will demand”.

“This project reflects our conviction that the UAE should not simply adopt AI, but govern it and build with it,” said H.E Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of etisalat group. “That requires digital infrastructure at a scale that would prepare us for the future”. He cast greater international connectivity as a strategic answer to the challenges of processing and moving data globally.

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Beyond raw bandwidth, the expansion will introduce new connectivity routes intended to improve reliability and efficiency, and Alzaabi tied them directly to the sovereignty goal. “Delivered through diversified routes and low-latency design, the project is set to keep the country’s connection to the global digital economy fast, direct and resilient, while ensuring the UAE’s digital sovereignty,” he said.

He also linked the plan to the group’s 50-year commitment to building infrastructure for the nation. The announcement didn’t mention what the expansion will cost. Nor did it name the new routes or say who will build them, the details that would show what digital sovereignty means in practice.