Ras Al Khaimah will use Mina’s residential communities and mixed-use developments to assess autonomous vehicles’ performance, safety and readiness for possible deployment across the emirate, Gulf News reported Nov. 5.
RAKTA and RAK Properties will use Mina, which the company describes as its flagship waterfront destination, as a place to evaluate vehicles in urban settings. Gulf News said officials announced the agreement at the launch of RAKTA’s Autonomous Mobility Framework and Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox. The initiative provides a setting to examine how autonomous transport might be used and what would be needed before deployment.
Teams plan to observe how the vehicles operate in different parts of Mina. Their review will account for conditions at each location and consider safety standards alongside technical and regulatory requirements. The evaluations will also measure vehicle performance across varied urban environments.
RAKTA Director General Engineer Esmaeel Hasan Al Blooshi said field evaluations would give the authority evidence to judge whether the technology is suitable for practical deployment. He said working with property developers can provide different urban conditions for examining transport systems. RAKTA will continue collaborating with partners and tailor assessments to the needs of each operating environment, he said.
RAK Properties Chief Executive Officer Sameh Muhtadi said the agreement gives the company a role in assessing mobility options as Mina grows. He said the company’s development plan aims to serve residents and visitors, and that newer systems could make transport more convenient and accessible. RAK Properties will contribute its infrastructure expertise to the assessments, Muhtadi said.
The effort is part of RAKTA’s wider work on smart mobility. The authority previously announced a memorandum of understanding with Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center Co., Ltd. to study AI and smart-mobility projects for local transport needs. The Mina partnership adds a site for practical evaluations to that broader work.
