Trial runs of automated self-driving taxis will start from next month on Dubai’s roads. A top official of RTA has told that driverless taxis will be deployed along the stretch of Jumeirah Road between Etihad Museum and Dubai Water Canal, following digital mapping of the area. And in the initial stages of the trial run, there will be no human passengers in the driverless taxis. Dubai authorities expect full commercial operations of the driverless taxi from next year.

The taxis will be operated by US-based Cruise, a self-driving technology subsidiary of General Motors. Last year RTA had signed an agreement with General Motors Co’s Cruise self-driving car subsidiary to operate its autonomous vehicles in Dubai starting in 2023. Under the agreement, General Motors’ self-driving fleet is expected to reach 4,000 vehicles by 2030 in Dubai.

If the trial runs are successful, Dubai will be second city outside the US to commercially operate Cruise self-driving vehicles. Dubai aims to have 25% of all trips in the city to be smart and driverless by 2030. This target means “one in four UAE residents will be using a driverless car by 2030.”