AutonomousA2Z Launches UAE/Middle East Self-Driving Joint Venture

Korean Autonomous Driving Dreams of Middle East Hub in UAE... Autonomous A2Z Completes Joint Venture Establishment with Space42 Autonomous A2Z has successfully completed the establishment of an autonomous driving joint venture with Space42, an AI space-tech company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Officially announced on the 19th (local time) in Abu Dhabi at the 'Korea-UAE Business Roundtable' held on the occasion of President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to the UAE, this joint venture establishment marks a significant milestone for Korea's advanced autonomous driving technology to make a full-fledged entry into the Middle East market. This collaboration has come to fruition after one year and four months, following the joint venture establishment agreement with Bayanat (now Space42) in July last year, and a business agreement with Space42 in October. In particular, A2G, a Singaporean joint venture established by Autonomous A2Z with Kilsa Global, played a key role in designing the partnership structure and building networks, driving the success of this global expansion strategy. Key officials from both nations graced this significant occasion, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, Bae Ki-hoon, and Hwang Sung-hoon, Director General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as Yoo Byeong-yong, Vice President of Autonomous A2Z, and Munira Al Marzooqi, Managing Director, and Sulaiman Al Ali, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Space42. The two companies will jointly invest a total of $4 million (approximately 6 billion KRW) for the establishment of the joint venture, and immediately pursue a jointly awarded Abu Dhabi autonomous driving project worth $8 million (approximately 12 billion KRW). Key business areas include expanding the accessibility of Level 4 autonomous vehicles, applying retrofit models to convert existing vehicles into autonomous ones, and providing V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything communication) technology and related services, which are expected to accelerate the UAE's transition to smart mobility. A detailed roadmap has also been established. In the first half of next year, based on a partnership with Kia, five 'PV5' vehicles will be used to begin autonomous vehicle pilot projects and vehicle conversions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Subsequently, through workshops and R&D programs with local governments, manufacturing and infrastructure bases will be expanded, with the ultimate goal of extending autonomous driving commercialization beyond the UAE to the entire Middle East. The UAE is actively promoting a smart mobility transition, having set ambitious goals such as Dubai's '25% autonomous driving by 2030' and Abu Dhabi's 'complete transition by 2040'. This joint venture plans to contribute to the establishment of the UAE's autonomous driving ecosystem by collaborating with key local organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster to jointly develop legal frameworks, regulations, and operating systems. Hassan Al Hosani, CEO of Space42 Smart Solutions, stated, “This joint venture is a strategic stepping stone for realizing the UAE’s next-generation mobility strategy, ‘Autonomy 2.0’,” and expressed the ambition to “make the UAE a global hub for autonomous driving innovation” in cooperation with Autonomous A2Z. Philip Park, Co-CEO of Kilsa Global, emphasized, “This achievement in the Middle East is a prime example of Autonomous A2Z’s global expansion strategy truly coming to fruition,” and added that A2G will be dedicated to A2Z’s business expansion not only in the Middle East but worldwide. Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, declared, “As a leading autonomous driving company representing South Korea, we have created an opportunity to introduce Korean technology to the Middle East,” and strongly expressed his commitment to “build a safe and reliable infrastructure with Space42, lead the commercialization of autonomous driving in the UAE, and drive smart mobility innovation across the entire Middle East.”