DUBAI — Recent government initiatives aimed at reducing transport carbon emissions and transforming transportation to intelligent and autonomous modes has thrown the spotlight on the UAE to be one of the best countries in the world, as the countdown begins to the 3rd International Conference on Future Mobility in Dubai.

The UAE has already seen a series of announcements from various government entities towards achieving the goals outlined in the national agenda of the UAE Vision 2021, and Dubai’s Autonomous Transportation Strategy.

With electric vehicles standards and regulations now in place and with autonomous driving becoming a core component of future mobility, the UAE’s federal standardization governing body, the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), launched in August 2017 a project to develop a draft of the technical regulations that includes safety requirements and specifications for self-driving vehicles.

ESMA will present the project at the 3rd International Conference on Future Mobility (ICFM), which will take place on Nov. 7-8, 2017 at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Dubai.

ESMA has formed a team of strategic partners that includes the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), the Dubai Police, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and other partners from federal and local authorities to participate in drafting and discussing the draft.

Abdulla Al Maeeni, the Director General of ESMA, said: “Automotive manufacturers and OEMs are continually in a quest to evolve their offerings with advanced technology – from high speed connectivity in the car, to more sustainable and environment friendly technology, to new models of car usage and ownership, and fully autonomous driving.”

“Innovations are revolutionizing global transport sector and to meet the demands, experts from across the industry including automotive manufacturers, application developers, telecommunication companies, supporting infrastructure and solution providers, and relevant government authorities are working together to achieve a shared vision.”

“The UAE has always been at the forefront of adopting new technologies and the UAE government has always been supportive of new innovations. With the vision of our leaders for a smart and sustainable future, the UAE is striving towards achieving excellence and innovation in all walks of life – transportation being a key element of it.”

“This year, with a sharp focus on the theme ‘Towards Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility’, the 3rd International Conference on Future Mobility is set to be a unique platform for industry leaders to get together and lay foundations for the next growth and market adaptation phase for smart, sustainable and connected transport in the region,” said Al Maeeni.

Organized by Messe Frankfurt Middle East and hosted by the ESMA, the 3rd ICFM is a two-day conference and exhibition that will discuss and analyse the future of transportation in the region and how smart, sustainable and intelligent vehicles will play a key role in both public and private transport in the smart cities of the future.

An expert panel of more than 35 speakers will be complemented by a stellar line-up of eco-friendly and autonomous vehicles on show from major manufactures such as Tesla, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Volvo, BMW, Cadillac, Kia, Renault and Mercedes-Benz.

More than 350 international and regional delegates are expected to attend, representing manufacturers, government authorities, telecommunications, utilities, distributors, industry analysts, and environment ministries. — SG