Dubai Autonomous Transport Zone (Al Jaddaf, Dubai Creek Harbour, Dubai Festival City)
PlannedDubai
In September 2025 the RTA signed deals with Emaar and Al-Futtaim to make Al Jaddaf, Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Festival City a zone for self-driving transport on land and water. The plan covers robotaxis, robobuses and shuttles, autonomous abras, delivery robots, logistics vans and sweepers, linked to the Metro at Creek station. Robotaxis were due in the zone in Q1 2026 and all modes by mid-2027; no service inside the zone has been reported yet.
A self-driving abra and a driverless shuttle at Dubai Creek Harbour
Where it runs
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Facts and sources
PartnersRTA signed two agreements, with Emaar Properties and Al-Futtaim, at the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport 2025 (Dubai World Trade Centre)
Stated size12 sq km
Stated extent (Khaleej Times)RTA: 'DAZ will cover an area stretching 15 kilometres' from Creek Metro station (Al Jaddaf) toward Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Festival City
Stated size (The National)'15-square-kilometre testing zone for self-driving taxis' in Festival City and Dubai Creek Harbour. Gulf News gives 12 sq km; Khaleej Times gives a 15 km stretch
District area, our measureThe three OSM district polygons total 20.16 sq km, so the stated 12 sq km is part of these districts
Planned infrastructure20 km of roads for robobuses and roboshuttles; 10 km of waterways for roboboats and autonomous abras; a 3.8 km delivery-robot zone; robotaxis, robovans, robosweepers and public charging points
ModesSeven: Metro, robotaxi, robobus, autonomous abra, shuttle, logistics vehicles and sweepers; sweepers to be run by Dubai Municipality
TimingRobotaxis in the zone in Q1 2026; all modes running by mid-2027
Autonomous share quotedGulf News quotes a share of '20.4 per cent at present to 25 per cent by 2030 and 36 per cent by 2040', without saying who gave it. RTA's own figure is 'over 10%' of trips in 2022, mostly the Metro (2023). The two may count different things
