Dubai to close Emirates Road lanes and airport tunnel for robotaxi highway tests
Three E611 lanes opposite Al Maktoum International Airport will be restricted daily through Saturday, while the tunnel will be closed in both directions.
Dubai will restrict a section of Emirates Road opposite Al Maktoum International Airport for autonomous-taxi highway tests. Three lanes of the E611 will be closed daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 31, while the airport tunnel will be shut in both directions during the testing period.
The Roads and Transport Authority advised motorists to plan ahead and follow directional signs. Gulf News said drivers and airport passengers should check live traffic conditions and allow extra time; it noted that the authority had not formally designated E311, E44 or E11 as diversion routes.
The closures give autonomous-taxi companies dedicated space for highway trials as Dubai seeks to extend driverless transport into real-world road conditions. The RTA has not confirmed a date for commercial robotaxi operations around Al Maktoum International Airport.
The airport-area tests come after Dubai began commercial autonomous-taxi services in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. Uber began operating Baidu’s Apollo Go driverless service in its Dubai network in September, using sixth-generation RT6 robotaxis, while WeRide taxis are available through Uber and Apollo Go rides through the Apollo Go app.
Dubai’s initial commercial rollout comprises 100 autonomous taxis, with a staged expansion planned. RTA figures released in August recorded more than 4 million kilometres travelled, 7,613 passenger trips, a fleet of 144 vehicles and 48 vehicles in active operation, alongside roughly 50 trips a day and 97% customer satisfaction.
The emirate is pursuing a target for autonomous transport to account for 25% of all journeys by 2030. Dubai also opened Dubai Mobility Labs at Dubai Silicon Oasis in September, a facility established with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority that assesses vehicles in 248 scenarios before public-road trials and full operations.
The facility combines simulated conditions with public-road testing between Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Qudra, and has conducted trials involving WeRide, Pony.ai and Tesla.
- City: Dubai