Contract scope and value
Autonomous A2Z, a South Korean self-driving technology company, announced on August 4 that it has signed an autonomous-driving export contract valued at about 11 billion won (AED 27.91 million) with Space42, an artificial-intelligence company based in the United Arab Emirates. The agreement covers a "smart mobility convergence project" under which the two sides will convert vehicles used in Space42's TXAI autonomous-driving service and expand the service.
Vehicle lineup and deployment plan
The deal covers a total of 19 vehicles. Eight are "ROii" Level 4 driverless robo-shuttles developed independently by A2Z; the remainder are five Kia PV5-based autonomous vehicles, five Carnival-based autonomous vehicles, and one MAN bus-based autonomous vehicle. ROii will be produced in South Korea and shipped as completed vehicles to the UAE in the second half of this year, while the other vehicles will be procured and modified locally. A2Z will also build integrated control infrastructure, including a control system and a remote-control cockpit for local operations, and provide a hailing service linking the vehicles to Space42's application.
Service rollout and replacement of existing fleet
Under the contract, Space42 will fully replace the TXAI service it had operated with Chinese-made autonomous vehicles with A2Z vehicles. Some of the units are scheduled to be deployed on Saadiyat Island and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in the second half of this year to begin trial robo-shuttle operations. After verifying local road conditions and usage demand, the service model is set to shift to demand-responsive transport and tourism shuttles after 2027.
Government support and prior delays
A2Z received government export support throughout the process, from technology development and demonstration through UAE market entry. The company developed its autonomous-driving logic for UAE public-road driving at K-City, provided free of charge by KATRI under the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. A joint-venture establishment contract was signed during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to the UAE in 2025, and the company delivered a national core-technology export approval to the UAE earlier this year together with former Presidential Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo. The original export schedule was later delayed after the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran blocked air and sea routes to the Middle East.
Company outlook and next steps
A2Z CEO Han Ji-hyeong said the company has demonstrated the export potential of autonomous-driving technology developed domestically and through various demonstrations, and that it plans to expand demonstrations in diverse environments such as the United States and China to develop end-to-end autonomous driving technology. The next verifiable milestone is the second-half-of-2026 shipment of ROii units from South Korea and the start of trial robo-shuttle operations on Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, followed by a planned shift to demand-responsive and tourism services after 2027.
Share this article
