Updated 8 October 2026. First published September 2025, the week RTA announced the zone. Every status line below carries its source and date.
RTA announced the Dubai Autonomous Zone (DAZ) on 24 and 25 September 2025: a driverless transport area around Creek Metro station in Al Jaddaf, reaching Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Festival City, with seven driverless modes on land and water. Robotaxis were to come first, in early 2026, and all seven modes by mid-2027.
A year on, Dubai does have commercial robotaxis, since late March 2026. They run in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, on the other side of the city. We found no public RTA notice that services inside the zone have opened. For a Tesla owner, DAZ changes nothing about your own car: on a UAE plate it still runs Basic Autopilot.
Start where you are
What RTA announced: seven driverless modes around Dubai Creek
RTA presented the zone at the fourth Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, at Dubai World Trade Centre. The congress challenge that year ran under the theme “Dubai Autonomous Transport Zone”, with five finalists: four consortia and one company (Dubai Media Office, 21 Sep 2025). During the congress RTA signed agreements with Emaar Properties and Al-Futtaim to extend the zone into Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Festival City, the two developers’ districts (Gulf News, 26 Sep 2025).
Two size figures circulate, and they measure different things:
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Area stretch, as RTA described it at launch | 15 km | Khaleej Times, 24 Sep 2025 |
| Zone area in the Emaar and Al-Futtaim agreements | 12 km² | Gulf News, 26 Sep 2025 |
| Roads for Robobuses and Roboshuttles | 20 km | Gulf News, 26 Sep 2025 |
| Waterways for autonomous boats | 10 km | Gulf News, 26 Sep 2025 |
| Routes for delivery robots | 3.8 km | Gulf News, 26 Sep 2025 |
RTA named seven modes for the zone. Their status as of 8 October 2026:
| Mode | Role in the zone | Status, 8 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Metro | Entry point at Creek station, Green Line | Running (driverless since 2009) |
| Robotaxi | First mode to launch | Commercial in Dubai since late March 2026, in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah. No DAZ service announced. |
| Robobus | Roads inside the zone | No public launch found |
| Self-driving shuttle | Last leg to homes and offices | No public launch found |
| Autonomous abra | Creek crossings to Festival City and Creek Harbour | No public launch found |
| Driverless logistics vehicles | Deliveries | No public launch found |
| Autonomous street sweepers | Road cleaning | No public launch found |
A year on: robotaxis arrived, in another part of Dubai
The robotaxi part of the plan has moved fast. The zone part has not, at least in public. Here is each promise next to what happened.
| Promised (Sep 2025) | What happened |
|---|---|
| Robotaxi trials by end of 2025 | WeRide public pilot on Uber with a specialist on board, Dec 2025. Apollo Go’s first fully driverless trial permit, 8 Jan 2026 (RTA). |
| Robotaxis open to the public in Q1 2026 | Commercial service by Apollo Go and WeRide from 30 and 31 Mar 2026, in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah (RTA). |
| Zone operational in early 2026 | No public opening notice from RTA, Emaar or Al-Futtaim found as of 8 Oct 2026. |
| All seven modes by mid-2027 | Pending. Nine months to go. |
| Fleet growth | Apollo Go and Dubai Taxi Company plan 50 cars in year one, then more than 1,000 over the following years (Dubai Media Office, 2 Apr 2026). RTA’s latest program snapshot: 144 in the fleet, 48 active (19 Aug 2026). |
| 25% of trips autonomous by 2030 | Still the city target, with 36% by 2040. |
Read the fleet figures as separate dated snapshots, each with its own scope. Our robotaxi page for Tesla owners keeps the full table, the operators, the booking apps and an update log.
Two other projects touch the area. The Metro Blue Line will serve Dubai Creek Harbour; its first tunnelling phase is done and opening is set for 9 September 2029 (The National, 9 Jul 2026). The Dubai Loop is a separate tunnel between DIFC and Dubai Mall, outside the zone; as of 30 Sep 2026 its boring machine was still being assembled (Gulf News).
What the Dubai Autonomous Zone means if you own a Tesla
Very little for your own car, and that is worth knowing before anyone sells you a story.
- Your Tesla runs Basic Autopilot on a UAE plate. Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and Enhanced Autopilot are off. A driverless zone does not switch them on. Our FSD and Autopilot in the UAE page has the details.
- The zone’s vehicles are operator fleets. Robotaxis, robobuses and shuttles belong to Apollo Go, WeRide and RTA partners. Tesla is not among the named operators.
- Price FSD claims at zero. If a used listing near Creek Harbour or anywhere else says “FSD activated”, check it on the car’s screen and value it at nothing until it is proven.
- For a long hold, prefer HW4. It is the computer any future approval would target. See our hardware cliffs guide.
If you live in Creek Harbour or Festival City, the near-term change is more likely a robotaxi or shuttle ride than anything in your garage. Live Tesla stock is on Buy Tesla, with medians on our price index. To try one first, rent a Tesla in Dubai.
Dubai Autonomous Zone questions
Where is the Dubai Autonomous Zone?
Around Creek Metro station on the Green Line in Al Jaddaf, reaching Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Festival City. RTA has not published a surveyed boundary.
Is the Dubai Autonomous Zone open?
We found no public notice that services inside the zone have opened, as of 8 October 2026. RTA’s target for all seven modes is mid-2027.
Where can I ride a robotaxi in Dubai today?
In Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, through the Apollo Go app or Uber’s autonomous option, since late March 2026. That area is outside the zone.
How big is the Dubai Autonomous Zone?
RTA described a 15 km stretch at launch. The agreements with Emaar and Al-Futtaim put the zone at 12 km², with 20 km of roads, 10 km of waterways and 3.8 km of delivery robot routes.
Will my Tesla drive itself inside the zone?
No. A UAE-registered Tesla runs Basic Autopilot. The zone’s driverless vehicles are operator fleets under RTA.
Where to go next
Sources: Dubai Media Office, congress announcement (21 Sep 2025) and Apollo Go with Dubai Taxi Company (2 Apr 2026); Khaleej Times, zone launch (24 Sep 2025); Gulf News, Emaar and Al-Futtaim agreements (26 Sep 2025) and Dubai Loop progress (30 Sep 2026); RTA releases on robotaxi permits and commercial launch (8 Jan, 30 Mar 2026) and program snapshot (19 Aug 2026); The National, Blue Line (9 Jul 2026).