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The Roads and Transport Authority announced the start of trial operations for the Dubai Glydways automated transit system at Bluewaters on October 11, 2026, with Director General Mattar Al Tayer taking the first five-minute ride in one of the autonomous vehicles along a designated route. The trial, conducted in partnership with Glydways and Dubai Holding, will run for four weeks to evaluate performance in a real-world setting at the Dubai retail destination. According to the RTA, the initiative supports development of a smart, integrated and sustainable mobility network by adopting future technologies that strengthen connections across transport modes.
RTA figures show the system uses driverless electric pods carrying four to six passengers that travel at up to 50 kilometres per hour on dedicated guideways separate from regular traffic, with each vehicle offering a range of 250 kilometres on a single charge. The authority reported that the network can transport more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions while delivering capital costs up to 90 per cent lower and operating costs up to 70 per cent lower than comparable systems. Vehicles are equipped with 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors along with radar, cameras and artificial intelligence technologies to enable on-demand, point-to-point journeys without fixed schedules.
Mattar Al Tayer stated that the trial operation marks an important stage in assessing the system’s operational and technical aspects. He added that it would evaluate the ability to provide a safe, seamless and reliable mobility experience while exploring opportunities for integration with the public transport network, particularly for first- and last-mile journeys. The RTA director general attended a presentation on the technology alongside Mark Seeger, founder and co-CEO of Glydways, and Blake Barber, the company’s co-CEO and chief technology officer.
The four-week pilot at Bluewaters follows a cooperation agreement signed between the RTA and Glydways on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in 2025, the authority said in its announcement. Dubai Holding supported preparation of the testing environment, infrastructure and operations for the trial, according to the RTA. Mark Seeger noted in the statement that the start of trial operation in Dubai marks an important milestone in the collaboration and demonstrates the potential of automated transit networks to meet modern city needs with flexible, high-capacity, on-demand mobility services.
RTA assessments identified several routes for further study, including a 2.8-kilometre link between National Paints Metro Station and Bluewaters as well as connections serving Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City. The authority indicated these alignments aim to improve access to Metro stations, key attractions and major destinations across the emirate. Earlier reviews of the Glydways project by Dubai’s leadership in February 2026 highlighted its role in reinforcing the emirate’s public transport ecosystem through autonomous electric vehicles on narrow dedicated guideways.
The Roads and Transport Authority has positioned the system as compatible with public-private partnership models that enhance investment efficiency in sustainable transport projects, based on its prior project evaluations. RTA data from related mobility initiatives underscores the focus on reducing reliance on private vehicles by offering direct journeys that complement existing rail and bus networks. The trial results will inform potential scaling according to demand and urban development requirements in line with the emirate’s long-term transport strategy.
