South Korean autonomous driving technology will be exported to the Middle East for the first time. Autonomous driving company Autonomous A2Z, led by CEO Ji-hyeong Han (한지형), said on Monday it signed a 11 billion won supply contract with UAE AI company Space42 for autonomous driving.

The contract value is 27.91 million dirhams (AED). It is a direct supply deal aimed at converting vehicles and expanding services for TXAI, an autonomous driving service Space42 operates in the UAE. It proceeds separately from an agreement to set up a joint venture between the two companies.

Under the deal, Space42 will replace all vehicles used for TXAI, which it has operated with Chinese-made autonomous vehicles, with Autonomous A2Z vehicles. The supplied vehicles total 19, including eight driverless Level 4 ROii robo-shuttles, along with autonomous vehicles based on the Kia PV5, the Carnival and MAN buses. ROii will be produced in South Korea and shipped locally in the second half of this year, while the other vehicles will be procured locally and modified.

In addition to supplying vehicles, the companies will build integrated control infrastructure, including an autonomous driving control system and a remote-control cockpit. Autonomous A2Z will also operate the on-demand service by linking the supplied vehicles with Space42's application. Han said, "This is an achievement made with South Korean technology in the Middle East, where countries around the world are competing as a battleground for future mobility, and it proved the possibility that autonomous driving technology can expand to overseas exports and local services."

Some of the vehicles will be deployed in the second half of this year on Saadiyat Island and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi to begin pilot operations of robo-shuttles. After 2027, the plan is to shift the service model to demand-responsive transport and tourism-oriented shuttles. Autonomous A2Z plans to obtain UN certification from a European accredited testing institution and expand the countries it enters globally.