Dubai launches trial of Glydways’ AI-powered driverless pods on Bluewaters Island

Dubai has started testing AI-powered driverless electric pods on Bluewaters Island as part of a four-week trial aimed at improving public transport connectivity across the emirate.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Sunday the launch of the automated transit system developed by US-based Glydways, with each vehicle capable of carrying up to six passengers along dedicated routes, separate from regular traffic.

Designed to offer on-demand transport around the clock, the pods can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h and travel up to 250 km on a single charge. The system can also virtually link more than 10 vehicles with intervals of less than one second, giving it the capacity to carry more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions.

The Glydways system will be incorporating artificial intelligence to monitor its surroundings and guide vehicle movements. Each pod is equipped with 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors, radar, and cameras to support autonomous navigation. The vehicles travel along narrow, dedicated guideways that can be built at ground level or elevated, allowing the system to integrate with existing transport infrastructure.

The trial began with a five-minute journey on Bluewaters Island, attended by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

“The start of trial operation for the Glydways system marks an important step in RTA’s journey towards adopting and developing future mobility systems,” Al Tayer said.

Over the next four weeks, RTA will assess the vehicles’ autonomous driving capabilities, safety systems and operational reliability, alongside passenger experience, journey times and ease of use. The findings will help determine the feasibility of expanding the network across Dubai.

Beyond its potential to improve connectivity, the system could also significantly reduce transport infrastructure costs. According to RTA, capital costs could be reduced by up to 90% and operating costs by up to 70% compared with similar transport systems.

The initiative builds on a partnership between RTA and Glydways to develop automated transit networks that address first- and last-mile connectivity, linking Dubai Metro stations with residential, commercial and tourist destinations.

Several potential routes are already under consideration, including a 2.8 km connection between National Paints Metro Station and Bluewaters, as well as proposed routes serving Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City.

Mark Seeger, founder and co-CEO of Glydways, said the trial would help demonstrate the potential of automated transit networks to deliver high-capacity, on-demand transport services.

“Through our collaboration with RTA, we look forward to utilizing the results of the trial operation to assess the system’s performance and further develop its solutions,” he said.

The pilot is being conducted in partnership with Dubai Holding, which is supporting the infrastructure and testing environment on Bluewaters Island. Its results will inform decisions on the system’s potential wider deployment across the emirate.