(Yicai) July 8 -- Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai is linking arms with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to launch a Robotaxi service in the United Arab Emirates’ city in a key step towards realizing Dubai’s goal of having one in four trips made using self-driving vehicles by 2030.

The first batch of vehicles will begin road testing this year, paving the way for full unmanned commercial operations by 2026, the Guangzhou-based firm said at the launch ceremony yesterday.

Pony.ai and RTA will join forces to integrate Level 4 autonomous driving technology into Dubai’s multi-modal transportation system, according to the agreement penned by the two parties on July 4. The aim is to improve urban mobility, ease traffic congestion and build a sustainable transportation model to help Dubai achieve its strategic goal of having a quarter of all trips made using self-driving vehicles by 2030.

RTA’s partnerships with world-leading autonomous driving companies represent a critical step in advancing Dubai’s smart mobility strategy, said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA.

“The cooperation with the RTA demonstrates our commitment to deploying Robotaxi services in key global markets,” said Wang Haojun, chief financial officer of Pony.ai. “Pony.ai's technological strengths together with RTA’s forward-thinking approach, will create a benchmark ecosystem for smart transportation in the Middle East.”

So far, Pony.ai’s autonomous vehicles have racked up more than 45 million kilometers in test driving globally. In China, it has built operational networks covering over 2,000 square kilometers across the four first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which serve high-complexity areas such as high-speed railway stations, airports and commercial hubs. Over the past two years, the company has completed more than 500,000 hours of fully driverless testing in various scenarios .

Building on its extensive experience in China, Pony.ai is continuing to expand its global footprint with help from local partners. On July 4, Pony.ai announced another tie-up with Luxembourg-based mobility provider Emile Weber to begin Robotaxi road tests in the European country.

Editor: Kim Taylor