Autonomous AtoZ Signs 11 Billion KRW Autonomous Vehicle Export Deal with UAE

Supplying 19 Autonomous Vehicles Including Level 4 RoboShuttle 'ROii'

Demonstrating Technological Prowess in Integrated Control Infrastructure

Autonomous AtoZ announced on August 4 that it has signed an autonomous vehicle export contract worth 11 billion KRW with Space42, an artificial intelligence (AI) company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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

Space42 plans to expand autonomous mobility services in the UAE using a variety of modified vehicles, including eight units of Autonomous AtoZ's proprietary Level 4 driverless RoboShuttle 'ROii'. The ROii vehicles will be manufactured in Korea and delivered as complete vehicles to the UAE in the second half of this year. Other vehicles will be locally sourced and then modified.

Autonomous AtoZ plans to build an integrated control infrastructure necessary for local operations, including a control system and remote control cockpit. The company will also enhance service quality by linking the supplied vehicles with Space42's application to provide on-demand services. By applying its own technology and products in the global autonomous driving market, which is dominated by American and Chinese companies, Autonomous AtoZ has proven its technological prowess as a leading representative of K-autonomous driving.

In the second half of the year, a portion of the vehicles will be deployed on Saadiyat Island and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for pilot RoboShuttle operations. The timing for bus deployment has not yet been determined. After verifying the local road environment and user demand, the service model will be converted to demand-responsive transport (DRT) and tourism shuttles from 2027 onwards. As the UAE is actively pursuing a comprehensive smart mobility transition, it is expected that large-scale exports of autonomous vehicles will be possible as service areas and operation scale expand.

Autonomous AtoZ has accumulated extensive real-world experience not only in technology, but also in vehicle operation, control, and service response capabilities through 13 autonomous driving pilot projects in cities and provinces in Korea. The company currently holds permits for the temporary operation of 91 autonomous vehicles, with a cumulative mileage of 1.02 million kilometers. In preparation for this contract, Space42 representatives visited domestic demonstration sites to assess public service status and reviewed vehicle development and verification environments at K-City in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, confirming Autonomous AtoZ’s technical stability and business competence.

Local business development and contract affairs were led by the Singapore joint venture A2G (Autonomous to Global). Established with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), A2G has communicated with UAE government agencies and companies to reflect local requirements in the vehicles and services supplied by Autonomous AtoZ. The company also plans to promote further contract implementation and additional exports in cooperation with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Unicorn Bridge Project.

Han Ji-hyung, CEO of Autonomous AtoZ, stated, "This achievement in the Middle East, which is fiercely competing to become the premier arena for future mobility, demonstrates that autonomous driving technology developed and trialed in Korea can be exported and expanded as local services overseas. Starting with the Gwangju Autonomous Driving Demonstration City project, we will further expand trials in various environments, including the U.S. and China, develop end-to-end (E2E) autonomous driving technology, and take the lead in ensuring Korea emerges as a leader in physical AI."

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