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UAE Deploys First Fleet Of Driverless Electric Cargo Trucks
The rollout of driverless commercial vehicles in Ras Al Khaimah, spearheaded by Evocargo and RAK Ceramics, marks a first for UAE logistics.
The UAE has put its first commercial fleet of driverless electric cargo trucks on the road, marking a step change for the country’s logistics sector. The rollout, led by Evocargo with RAK Ceramics, is taking place in the Al Jazeera Al Hamra industrial zone in Ras Al Khaimah, a hub for large-scale manufacturing and transport projects.
Evocargo’s unmanned N1 trucks are now moving ceramics and sanitary ware between RAK Ceramics sites. Each vehicle can travel up to 200 kilometers per charge and recognizes road signs, crossings, and obstacles in real time. It’s the first time autonomous trucks have been used commercially in the UAE, a move that places the country among a small group of markets deploying driverless freight at scale.
The N1 runs on Evocargo’s fifth-generation autopilot and an AI-based multi-sensor system using LIDAR, sonar, and cameras to interpret surroundings and react instantly to changing road conditions. A four-layer safety framework underpins the system, designed to ensure both reliability and data accuracy. The trucks operate around the clock, pausing only to charge while loading or unloading.
“This launch proves autonomous, zero-emission transport is no longer a concept, but a viable solution for daily commercial operations,” said Shaheem Musthafa, CEO of Evocargo Autonomous Logistic Services in the UAE. “Our Robots-as-a-Service model makes this innovation accessible and scalable, offering businesses subscription-based access to autonomous vehicles without upfront costs”.
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RAK Ceramics said the shift supports both operational efficiency and sustainability targets. “By adopting these advanced technologies, we are enhancing operational performance and efficiency, as well as contributing to a reduced carbon footprint,” the company noted.
The project reflects the UAE’s wider push toward smart mobility and decarbonization under Vision 2030. It also signals how the country’s industrial zones are becoming testbeds for automation and AI-driven logistics across the wider MENA region.
News
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.
Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.
The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc
— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026
“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.
Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.
Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget
The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.
Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
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