Space42 And Autonomous A2Z Establish Joint Venture To Transform Autonomous Mobility In The UAE

Space42 and Autonomous A2Z, a prominent autonomous driving firm from South Korea, have formed a joint venture to enhance autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies in the UAE. This collaboration was announced at DRIFTx during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week 2025. It follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier in October, transitioning from partnership to execution due to the increasing demand for scalable autonomous mobility solutions.

The venture aims to broaden access to Level-4 AVs, retrofit existing fleets with autonomous features, and provide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies and services. This initiative will promote safe, intelligent, and commercially viable driverless mobility across the region. The partnership introduces a retrofit-first model that allows for quick and cost-effective adoption of autonomous mobility by converting current vehicles into self-driving systems without needing major asset replacements.

This approach presents significant opportunities in various sectors such as public transport, logistics, industrial zones, airports, tourist destinations, and municipal services. It covers different vehicle types including taxis, shuttles, trucks, and street-sweeping fleets. These capabilities aim to increase access, speed up adoption, and improve operational efficiency for scalable autonomous transformation throughout the UAE.

The joint venture has outlined a clear roadmap from pilot implementation to full-scale commercialisation. Initial efforts will focus on pilot projects and early fleet conversions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This will be supported by a fleet of five autonomous vehicles. As the business grows, Space42 and A2Z Autonomous plan to establish a local workshop and R&D program to support regional manufacturing and innovation.

This collaboration aligns with Dubai’s objective to make 25% of all trips autonomous by 2030 and Abu Dhabi’s goal to achieve the same milestone by 2040. The venture will work closely with organisations like the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) cluster. They aim to develop regulatory and operational frameworks that enable large-scale deployment of these technologies.

The joint venture is part of Space42’s strategic focus on leading geospatial intelligence AI platform services. This aligns with its mission to advance the UAE’s ambitions in autonomous and connected mobility. By leveraging their expertise in this field, they aim to significantly contribute to the region's technological advancement in transportation.

The collaboration between Space42 and Autonomous A2Z marks a significant step towards achieving widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles in the UAE. By focusing on retrofitting existing fleets and developing necessary frameworks for deployment, they are paving the way for a future where driverless mobility becomes an integral part of everyday life across various sectors in the region.

With inputs from WAM