Space42 and Autonomous A2Z Secure $7M Deal to Launch Level-4 Robo-Shuttles in UAE

Space42 has signed a $7 million commercial agreement with South Korea’s Autonomous A2Z to bring Level-4 autonomous mobility services to the UAE, in a move that nudges the country’s smart transport ambitions a step further into everyday life. The first phase will start with pilot robo-shuttle services, using Autonomous A2Z’s ROii platform as well as other modified and retrofitted self-driving vehicles.

It is the first commercial deal to come out of the two companies’ wider partnership, and it sits separately from the joint venture they announced in 2025 for the longer-term commercialisation of autonomous transport technology. In simple terms, this deal is about getting wheels on the road first, then seeing what sticks. I reckon that’s often the sensible way in this space, because flashy mobility projects can be a bit of a faff if they skip the real-world testing part.

The tie-up blends Autonomous A2Z’s Level-4 self-driving system with Space42’s AI, geospatial and connectivity capabilities. For readers at Arageek who follow transport tech, Level-4 basically means the vehicle can handle driving on its own in specific conditions without needing a human to step in all the time. That said, the pilot stage is still key. The companies plan to use it to measure both operational performance and passenger demand before moving into broader services such as demand-responsive transport and tourism shuttles.

Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42, said autonomous mobility should be seen as “critical infrastructure” for smart city development. He said the UAE has already created the right conditions to weave this kind of transport into daily life, and that the company’s focus now is to turn that ambition into a reliable service that moves people smoothly while meeting top safety standards.

The project also lines up with the UAE National Smart Mobility Strategy and builds on Space42’s existing record in this field. Its TXAI autonomous taxi service has completed more than 20,000 trips since launching in 2021, covering 600,000 kilometres without a recorded accident. That’s a detail worth noting, because in autonomous driving, safety numbers matter more than slick marketing — well... I mean, they have to.

For Autonomous A2Z, the UAE project is among its biggest international deployments so far. The South Korean company says it has already run autonomous driving trials across 13 cities and provinces, while its fleet of 91 permitted autonomous vehicles has logged more than 1.02 million kilometres. The commercial rollout in the UAE will be led by A2G, short for Autonomous to Global, the Singapore-based joint venture between Autonomous A2Z and Kilsa Global.

And believe it or not, these are the kinds of transport stories that tend to feel distant until the first shuttle actually pulls up at the curb. Around the MENA startup scene, I’ve seen how founders get chuffed to bits when new infrastructure starts to support real products, not just pitch decks. On the flip side, this market is still young, and public trust will definately depend on whether these pilots prove safe, practical and spot on for daily use.

Still, the direction is clear enough. Space42 and Autonomous A2Z are betting that the UAE can become a serious testing ground, and perhaps a launchpad, for autonomous mobility services in the region and beyond.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip