Saudi Arabia Launches First-Ever Electric Self-Driving Vehicle

Saudi Arabia has announced its first-ever electric self-driving vehicle, the Dhahaina (Smart), which was unveiled at a ceremony held in the city of Riyadh. The autonomous shuttle is part of the country’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependency on oil and diversify its economy. One of the key pillars of this plan is a gravitation toward automated transport, with the goal of having 15% of public transport and 25% of goods transportation vehicles being autonomous within seven years.

The Dhahaina autonomous shuttle is an Autonom self-driving shuttle developed by the French company Navya, which uses a combination of Lidar, radar, and cameras to achieve Level 4 self-driving capability. The vehicle can accommodate up to 15 passengers and operate for up to nine hours at a time, with a top speed of just under 16 mph.

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While the technology is well-established, the purpose of the event was to raise awareness of Saudi Arabia’s plans and encourage acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the country. The Ministry of Transport hopes that by integrating AVs, Saudi Arabia can reduce the number of transport-related accidents and fatalities, improve intra-city mobility, and reduce the impact of transportation on the environment.

تواصل #وزارة_النقل_والخدمات_اللوجستية تبني أنماط وممارسات النقل الذكي، واليوم تمت تجربة المركبة ذاتية القيادة، وتأتي هذه الخطوة دعماً لتحقيق مستهدفات الاستراتيجية الوطنية للنقل والخدمات اللوجستية. pic.twitter.com/cN0yVLi8m0

— وزارة النقل والخدمات اللوجستية (@SaudiTransport) April 3, 2023

The autonomous shuttle was presented at the Riyadh Business Front, which is owned by the ROSHN Group, a national real estate group funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The ROSHN Group is developing new areas for the country’s citizens to live and work in, with a priority on promoting sustainability by offering eco-friendly modes of transportation within its communities. The company will work with the Ministry of Transport on the testing program for the AV.

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“The Dhahaina initiative is a significant leap in the technical development of transportation in the Kingdom,” said Oussama Kabbani, ROSHN Group’s Chief Development Officer. “This trial aligns with ROSHN’s commitment to adapting technology to serve people within the high-quality real estate environments of our communities across the kingdom.”

Overall, the introduction of the Dhahaina autonomous shuttle is a significant step toward achieving Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan and reducing the country’s dependency on oil while improving the environment and enhancing intra-city mobility.