13 companies have been shortlisted for the finals of the Dubai World Challenge for self-driving transport – but no British one is among them.

The competition is designed to realise the emirate’s vision of having 25% of all trips there smart and driverless.

Seven global companies have qualified for the final stage of the Challenge in the category of Leading Companies: Neolix from China, Life Touch from Italy, and DG World from United Arab Emirates, Arti from Austria, Twins Wheel from France, Yandex from Russia, and Kiwi Bot from the United States of America. Six local universities have qualified for the finals; New York University Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, American Univtersity of Sharjah, University of Sharjah and the University of Dubai.

Hosted by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Challenge is a multi-year international competition designed for industry leaders, start-ups, and academia tackling the transport challenges faced by global cities. It is the first of its kind to be truly global in its outlook and not limited by country or region.

“This global competition aims to expand the use of driverless transport across many fields and encourage leading companies in this particular field to tackle the existing mobility challenges, such as the first and last-mile, traffic congestions, and the low public transport ridership,” explained His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. “Self-driving transport has become a key pillar of RTA’s strategy, and we are determined to achieve our goals through a host of creative initiatives capable of making self-driving transport a reality on the ground in Dubai.”

(Picture – Dubai World Congress for Self Driving Transport)