ITC oversees first pilot operation of autonomous trucks in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, 27th February, 2026 (WAM) — The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, has announced its supervision of a pilot project for the operation of autonomous trucks in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with global company Autotech, which specialises in developing autonomous vehicle systems, as well as AD Ports Group.

The project is being implemented within Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD.

The project is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa in the operation of autonomous trucks for logistics and freight transport purposes, reflecting the expansion of autonomous systems applications across various modes of transport.

The ITC explained that the project focuses on evaluating the operation of autonomous trucks within a defined industrial and logistics environment.

Pilot trips were conducted along dedicated routes within KEZAD, in accordance with approved regulatory frameworks and operational standards.

During 2025, the developer, under the ITC’s supervision, worked on adapting artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving systems to local road requirements and logistics transport needs, ensuring safe and seamless operations in line with the highest safety and operational efficiency standards, and assessing the technology’s readiness for deployment in a real-world environment.

This project forms part of the ITC’s efforts to support the smart and autonomous mobility ecosystem in the emirate and enhance the readiness of regulatory frameworks to adopt innovative solutions that serve the supply chain and logistics sector. It contributes to improving freight transport efficiency and enhancing operational performance across economic and industrial zones, in preparation for the transition to the commercial deployment of autonomous logistics services.

Dr. Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, ITC Acting Director-General, said, “These initiatives contribute to enhancing the efficiency of the transport ecosystem, supporting the competitiveness of economic sectors, and reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading regional hub in adopting smart mobility solutions and autonomous systems, in line with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.”