"Chinese-Made Vehicles Replaced"... Autonomous A2Z Signs 11 Billion Won Autonomous Driving Export Deal with UAE

Supplying 19 Autonomous Vehicles Including Level 4 RoboShuttle 'ROii'

Demonstrating Technological Prowess in Integrated Control Infrastructure

On August 4, Autonomous A2Z announced that it had signed an autonomous driving export contract worth 11 billion won with UAE-based artificial intelligence company Space42.

Test drive site of Space42 visiting Gyeongju to inspect Autonomous AtoZ Level 4 RoboShuttle ROii and services. Han Ji-hyung, CEO of Autonomous AtoZ (fourth from the left), and Munira Al Marzouki, Executive Director of Space42 (fifth from the right). Autonomous AtoZ

The two companies have entered into an agreement for the 'Smart Mobility Convergence Project', under which Space42 will convert and expand the fleet for the autonomous driving service 'TXAI', currently operated in the UAE. The contract is valued at 27.91 million AED, equivalent to approximately 11 billion won. This is a direct supply contract, and is separate from the UAE joint venture between the two companies.

Space42 will completely replace the TXAI service fleet, which has previously relied on Chinese-made autonomous vehicles, with vehicles provided by Autonomous A2Z. The supply will include a total of 19 vehicles: eight units of the company's independently developed Level 4 RoboShuttle 'ROii', which has no driver's seat, five autonomous vehicles based on the Kia PV5, five based on the Carnival, and one based on the MAN bus. ROii shuttles will be manufactured in Korea, delivered as complete vehicles in the latter half of this year, while the other vehicles will be locally sourced and then converted.

Autonomous A2Z will establish an integrated control infrastructure for local operation, including a control system and remote cockpit, and will enhance operations by integrating the supplied vehicles with the Space42 application for dispatch service. By deploying its proprietary technology and products in a global autonomous driving market led by American and Chinese companies, Autonomous A2Z has demonstrated its technological prowess as Korea's leading player in autonomous driving.

In the second half of the year, a portion of the vehicles will be deployed for pilot operation of the RoboShuttle service on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island and Yas Island. The start date for bus deployment is yet to be determined. After verifying the local road environment and user demand, the service model will transition to demand-responsive transport (DRT) and tourism shuttles after 2027. As the UAE is actively pursuing a comprehensive smart mobility transition, substantial exports of autonomous vehicles are also anticipated with further expansion in service areas and fleet size.

Domestic experience for Autonomous A2Z extends beyond technical expertise to include diverse real-world operational, control, and service response capabilities, having participated in autonomous driving pilot projects in 13 cities and provinces across Korea. The company currently holds temporary operation permits for 91 autonomous vehicles with accumulated mileage totaling 1.02 million kilometers. In connection with this contract, Space42 officials visited local pilot sites in Korea, inspected public service operations, and reviewed vehicle development and testing at K-City in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, confirming the reliability of Autonomous A2Z's technology and their operational capabilities.

The local business development and contract execution processes were led by A2G (Autonomous To Global), a Singapore-based joint venture. Established with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), A2G communicated with UAE government agencies and companies to ensure local requirements were reflected in the Autonomous A2Z vehicles and services. In conjunction with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Unicorn Bridge project, Autonomous A2Z will work to fulfill this contract and further expand exports.

Han Jihyung, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, said, "Achieving this result in the Middle East—a fiercely competitive global mobility market—with Korean technology proves that the autonomous driving technology we have developed and validated in Korea can be exported and expanded into local services. Starting from the Gwangju Autonomous Driving Demonstration City project, we will further expand real-world testing in diverse environments, as in the United States and China, to develop E2E autonomous driving technology and ensure that Korea takes the lead as a global pioneer in physical AI."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.