ABU DHABI, 6th November, 2025 (WAM) -- Space42 and Autonomous A2Z, South Korea's leading autonomous driving company, have established a joint venture to advance autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies across the UAE.

Announced at DRIFTx during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week 2025, the venture builds on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies earlier in October, evolving from partnership to execution, driven by the strong demand for scalable autonomous mobility solutions.

The venture will expand access to Level-4 AVs, retrofit existing fleets with autonomous capabilities, and deliver vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies and related services, helping advance safe, intelligent, and commercially viable driverless mobility.

The partnership introduces a retrofit-first model that enables the rapid and cost-effective adoption of autonomous mobility. By converting existing vehicles into self-driving systems, governments and fleet operators can integrate autonomy without major asset replacements.

This approach opens significant opportunities across key sectors, including public transport, logistics, industrial zones, airports, tourist destinations, and municipal services, spanning vehicle types from taxis and shuttles to trucks and street-sweeping fleets. Together, these capabilities broaden access, accelerate adoption, and enhance operational efficiency, paving the way for scalable autonomous transformation across the UAE.

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

The collaboration supports Dubai's goal to make 25% of all trips autonomous by 2030 and Abu Dhabi's target to reach the same milestone by 2040. The venture will work closely with entities such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) cluster to develop regulatory and operational frameworks that enable large-scale deployment.

The joint venture builds on Space42's strategic pillar of leading in geospatial intelligence AI platform services, which defines its mission to advance the UAE's autonomous and connected mobility ambitions.