British self-driving vehicle technology company Oxa has partnered with a UAE government agency to establish an autonomous hub in Dubai.
The Oxford-based group will work with the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) to launch SHIFFT, a joint venture that will see Oxa’s technology integrated into local vehicle systems.
Oxa will provide its self-driving software, cloud fleet management tools, and specialised sensors into industrial vehicles and worksite management systems in Dubai.
The joint venture’s initial phase will focus on developing and deploying autonomous vehicle systems for high-throughput environments such as ports and airports, with a target commercial rollout in Dubai set for late 2027.
The initiative supports the broader Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the emirate’s foreign trade over the next decade by embedding smart transportation and automated infrastructure across its supply chain network.
“Forming this new business with DFF will accelerate the commercialisation of Oxa’s Industrial Mobile Autonomy (IMA) technology, turning ordinary work vehicles into a digital workforce,” said Paul Newman, chief executive of Oxa.
“Operating in major industrial environments, we will leverage autonomy to unlock new levels of efficiency, reliability and safety for operators of industrial fleets.”
Oxa first announced its intentions to support the rollout of autonomous vehicle technology in the UAE in 2024.
“To achieve Dubai’s ambition of doubling foreign trade by 2033, we must continue to develop and deploy solutions that strengthen the speed, efficiency and resilience of our logistics sector,” said Khalifa Al Qama, chief of Dubai’s RDI Ecosystem, overseen by Dubai Future Foundation.
“Through this joint venture, we are advancing autonomous mobility, creating new economic opportunities and strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for the future of logistics.”
