Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has officially commenced a four-week trial operation of the 'Dubai Glydways' automated transit system at Bluewaters Island.
The pilot project introduces four-to-six-passenger autonomous electric vehicles operating on lightweight, dedicated guideways independent of regular road traffic. His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, inspected the system's control centre and completed a five-minute inaugural ride alongside Glydways leadership.
Designed to address first-mile and last-mile connectivity between public transport hubs and popular destinations, the AI-driven pods travel at speeds up to 50kmh with an operational battery range of 250km. The vehicles utilise an advanced sensory suite comprising 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors, radar, and HD cameras, allowing virtual platooning where vehicles operate under one-second headways. According to RTA data, the full-scale network model can transport over 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions while reducing capital expenditure by up to 90% compared to traditional mass transit construction.
Following the initial trial phase at Bluewaters, RTA is evaluating several future expansion routes linking Dubai Metro stations. Potential corridors under study include a 2.8km track connecting the National Paints Metro Station to Bluewaters, as well as connections servicing Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay, Dubai Festival City, and Mohammed Bin Rashid City.
For residents and daily commuters, the system offers point-to-point, on-demand transit with customisable climate control and in-vehicle media.
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