Autonomous A2Z, or A2Z, said on Wednesday it has secured export approval for a national core technology for the first time in the autonomous driving sector. The company delivered the export approval document to its local joint venture in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, alongside a special envoy delegation led by presidential chief of staff Hoon-sik Kang.

Autonomous driving is a national core technology designated by the government, and exports require prior approval from relevant authorities for technology security reasons. A2Z obtained the first export approval in the autonomous driving sector after a review by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The approval is a follow-up measure to President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to the UAE in November. At the time, A2Z set up a Middle East autonomous driving joint venture with UAE AI company Space42. It was the first such case for a South Korean company. The permit was granted for the UAE under a joint declaration by the two leaders.

The event was attended by Jung-woo Ha, senior presidential secretary for AI Future Planning, Young-jun Choi, minister-counselor at the South Korean Embassy in the UAE, and Sang-jin Kim, director at the National AI Strategy Committee, among members of the special envoy delegation. A2Z was accompanied by CSO Minsang Yoo (유민상). They shared the joint venture's business roadmap and discussed strategies to promote pilot tests and commercialisation. Space42 managing director Muneera Al Marzooqi also confirmed the approval document.

A2Z will deploy its in-house Level 4 autonomous vehicle, ROii, and retrofitted vehicles in the UAE. The UAE joint venture combines A2Z's Level 4 autonomous driving technology with Space42's AI infrastructure and data capabilities. It is expanding autonomous vehicle production, pilot projects and AI mobility business in the Middle East in stages.

A2Z is seeking to win orders worth $7.6 million this year. It plans to generate local sales of $78.0 million by 2035. The UAE government will convert 25 percent of Dubai public transport to autonomous driving by 2030. It aims to complete Abu Dhabi's conversion to autonomous driving by 2040.

Autonomous A2Z CEO Jihyung Han (한지형) said autonomous driving is a national strategic industry that combines AI, semiconductors, communications, software and urban infrastructure. Han said the export approval shows autonomous driving has entered the global stage as a core technology that will lead South Korea's goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, beyond a single company's overseas expansion. Han added the company will prioritise safety and quality in the UAE to prove the competitiveness of South Korea-style autonomous driving, while also focusing on technology development in line with the transport ministry's mobility roadmap for Level 4 autonomous driving commercialisation in 2027.