Dubai Opens Self-Driving Test Ground Where Tesla, WeRide and Pony.ai Have Run Trials

Dubai's transport authority has opened a proving ground for self-driving vehicles where, it says, Tesla and the Chinese robotaxi companies WeRide and Pony.ai have already run trials, as the emirate works to move autonomous cars out of pilot zones and into everyday traffic.

Priya Nair, Safety · Sept. 29, 2026 · 4 min

Dubai Media Office

DUBAI - Dubai's transport authority has opened a proving ground for self-driving vehicles where, it says, Tesla and the Chinese robotaxi companies WeRide and Pony.ai have already run trials, as the emirate works to move autonomous cars out of pilot zones and into everyday traffic.

The Roads and Transport Authority, working with the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, said on Sunday that it had inaugurated Dubai Mobility Labs at Dubai Silicon Oasis, a technology-focused economic zone in the city, according to a statement released by the Dubai Media Office. The authority described the site as "the smartest integrated ground-testing of its kind in the Middle East."

The facility pairs dedicated test tracks and a multipurpose area built to simulate city traffic with trials on public roads that run from Dubai Silicon Oasis to Al Qudra. The authority said the site offers 248 test scenarios in all. The multipurpose area accounts for 195 of them: 143 built into its original design and 52 added through later enhancements. The scenarios are meant to assess how vehicles sense their surroundings, make decisions and interact with other road users before they progress to testing and operation on public roads, the authority said. The site also includes three light-industrial units for companies' operations and three 60-kilowatt electric vehicle chargers.

The labs have "hosted successful trials" of autonomous driving technology and vehicles developed by WeRide, Pony.ai and Tesla, the authority said. Its statement did not say when those trials took place, which vehicles were involved or what the results were.

The authority has hired DEKRA, the German testing and inspection company, to run the facility for its first three years. DEKRA will manage daily operations, organize testing and oversee compliance with international safety standards, according to the statement and The National, an Abu Dhabi newspaper.

"It offers an integrated pathway for developing, testing, validating and certifying technologies, helping accelerate a safe, orderly transition from trials to real-world and commercial deployment," Mattar Al Tayer, the authority's director general, said in the statement.

The opening is the latest step in Dubai's effort to make 25 percent of all trips in the emirate autonomous by 2030, the goal of its Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the crown prince, launched a self-driving taxi network in February, The National reported. Baidu's Apollo Go began commercial operations in Dubai in March, Xinhua reported on Sunday. In August, Uber made fully driverless Apollo Go vehicles available to riders on its platform in Dubai, with New Horizon Luxury Transport as the fleet operator, the transport authority said at the time.

The service is still small for an emirate of more than four million residents. As of Aug. 19, the authority said, Dubai's robotaxi program had a fleet of 144 vehicles, 48 of them in active operation, completing about 50 trips a day. It had logged more than 4 million kilometers and 7,613 passenger trips since launch. By comparison, public transport, shared mobility and taxis in Dubai carried 348 million riders in the first half of 2026, according to the authority.

The companies named in Sunday's announcement are at different stages in the region. WeRide has deployed more than 200 autonomous taxis across the Middle East and says the business there is already profitable, according to Xinhua. Pony.ai plans to begin commercial robotaxi service in Dubai later this year, the agency reported. The authority's statement did not describe Tesla's plans in the emirate beyond the trials.

Dubai has set aside ground for testing before. In September 2025, the city announced a 15-square-kilometer zone in Festival City and Dubai Creek Harbour for trials of self-driving taxis, delivery vehicles and other service vehicles, The National reported.

For Tesla, the Dubai announcement comes as the company faces scrutiny at home. Its sworn answers to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Special Order on how it certified its Cybercab, a two-seater with no steering wheel or pedals, are due on Wednesday, Electrek reported. Driverless News reported on the order this month.

Priya Nair, Safety. Priya Nair is a senior correspondent covering AV safety, regulators, and investigations. Previously covered transport policy for national outlets; based in Washington.