Administrative
Resolution No. (939) of 2025
Issuing
the Implementing Bylaw of
Law
No. (9) of 2023 Regulating the
Operation
of Autonomous Vehicles in the Emirate of Dubai[1]
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
The
Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors
of the Roads and Transport Authority,
After perusal of:
Federal Law by Decree No. (14) of
2024 Regulating Road Traffic;
Law No. (17) of 2005 Establishing the
Roads and Transport Authority and its amendments; and
Law No. (9) of 2023 Regulating the
Operation of Autonomous Vehicles in the Emirate of Dubai,
Does
hereby issue this Resolution.
The
words and expressions mentioned in this Resolution will have the same meanings
assigned to them in the above-mentioned Law No. (9) of 2023. The term “Law”,
wherever it appears in this Resolution, means Law No. (9) of 2023.
The
categories and types of Autonomous Vehicles are hereby specified as follows:
1.
Light Autonomous Vehicle: A Vehicle
designed for the transport of persons or goods, with a seating capacity not
exceeding thirteen (13) seats and a gross weight not exceeding three and a half
(3.5) tonnes.
2.
Heavy Autonomous Vehicle: A Vehicle
designed for the transport of goods, with a gross weight exceeding three and a
half (3.5) tonnes.
3.
Autonomous Bus: A Vehicle designed
for the transport of Passengers and classified into the following two types:
a.
Light Public Bus: A Vehicle with a
seating capacity of not less than fourteen (14) Passengers and not exceeding
twenty-six (26) Passengers.
b.
Heavy Public Bus: A Vehicle with a
seating capacity of more than twenty-six (26) Passengers.
4.
Light Equipment and Machinery: Equipment or
machinery, wheeled or non-wheeled, with a kerb weight not exceeding seven and a
half (7.5) tonnes.
5.
Heavy
Equipment and Machinery: Equipment or machinery, wheeled or non-wheeled, with a
kerb weight exceeding seven and a half (7.5) tonnes.
6.
Autonomous Motorcycles: Motorcycles equipped with
Autonomous Driving Systems.
An
Autonomous Vehicle must have the following certificates, systems, and specifications:
1.
a certificate of compliance issued
by the Competent Entity in the country of manufacture, covering all components
of the Autonomous Vehicle, including its metal frame; autonomous driving
functions; durability; propulsion and braking assemblies; technical systems and
their components that ensure the integrated functioning of the Autonomous Vehicle’s
movement and its safe operation; and which demonstrates that it has undergone
all required safety tests and has satisfied the standards of those tests;
2.
a certificate issued by the
manufacturer confirming that the Autonomous Vehicle, in its category and class,
has undergone test runs on public Roads in the country of manufacture or any
other country, in accordance with the technical requirements prescribed by the
RTA; and has successfully passed those test runs;
3.
a certificate of conformity for the
Autonomous Vehicle, in its category and class, issued by the Competent Entity
in the UAE, and
confirming compliance with the applicable UAE or Gulf
Standard Specification;
4.
proof that the Autonomous Vehicle
has undergone operational test runs in the Emirate, demonstrating the Vehicle’s
performance under the prevailing climatic conditions, providing the RTA with the
resulting test data, and confirming that all observations recorded during those
test runs have been addressed;
5.
proof that the construction and
design of the Autonomous Vehicle comply with the operational safety
requirements for its designated Activity;
6.
proof that the Autonomous Vehicle is
programmed for compliance with applicable legislation, including all rules and
controls relating to its operation, movement on Roads, and use of public car-park
spaces; and
7.
a system for determining the
permitted speeds, the authorised traffic lanes, and the districts and Roads on
which the Autonomous Vehicle may operate, in accordance with its automation
level and technical capabilities. This system must include criteria for
assessing Road readiness and digital infrastructure, the requirements for
communication and interaction with traffic management systems, and the safe-operation
controls. The system must be approved by the RTA.
Without
prejudice to the technical specifications adopted by the Competent Entity in
the UAE, an Autonomous Vehicle must satisfy the following security and safety
standards:
1.
a system for communication with the
Operator in the event of an emergency, including any malfunction of the Autonomous Vehicle;
2.
a system for alerting the Operator
to respond to Passenger emergencies; and
3.
any additional safety and security
requirements specified in the operational and technical manual approved by the RTA
for the Autonomous Vehicle.
An
Operator, in accordance with the authorised Activity, must implement and meet the
performance evaluation standards related to quality and to operational and
technical efficiency and competence as published on the RTA’s official website.
The
infrastructure for operating Autonomous Vehicles must be prepared and equipped
in accordance with the following standards and specifications:
1.
All prescribed Road safety elements
applicable to all Road users must be incorporated into the infrastructure.
2.
The infrastructure must be fit for
use by various categories, classes, and types of Autonomous Vehicles permitted
to operate on Roads, taking into account traffic volumes, and Road
classification and speed limits.
3.
The electronic infrastructure must
be capable of communicating with the Autonomous Vehicle to provide data on its
operation, performance, interaction with Road Elements, distances travelled,
travel times, and risk assessments, to ensure safe operation of the Autonomous
Vehicle and Road safety.
4.
The infrastructure must be fit for
use, taking into account the technical capabilities and speeds of the
Autonomous Vehicle and other operational factors relating to the safe operation
of the Autonomous Vehicle on the Roads.
5.
Information signs, road markings,
traffic signals, and the locations and specifications of charging devices must
be provided.
6.
The infrastructure must be equipped to ensure the adaptability
of Autonomous Vehicle technologies to any potential or anticipated changes to
infrastructure specifications and Traffic Control Systems within the Emirate.
In
addition to the requirements prescribed by the Law, for an Autonomous Vehicle
to be licensed, it must:
1.
fall within the categories and types specified in Article
(2) of this Resolution;
2.
comply with all the standards,
requirements, and conditions set out in Articles (3) and (4) of this
Resolution;
3.
be covered by a comprehensive
insurance policy issued by an insurance company licensed to operate in the UAE;
4.
be operated by an Operator holding a
valid Permit; and
For an Autonomous Vehicle licence to
be renewed, the following requirements must be satisfied:
1.
The Autonomous Vehicle must
successfully pass the technical inspection conducted in accordance with the
standards and requirements approved by the RTA.
2.
The Autonomous Vehicle must be
covered by a comprehensive insurance policy issued by an insurance company
licensed to operate in the UAE.
3.
The relevant Activity Permit must be
valid.
a.
Autonomous Vehicles are subject to the
following types of technical inspection:
1.
initial registration inspection;
2.
registration renewal inspection;
3.
temporary travel/export inspection;
4.
possession and temporary suspension
inspection; and
5.
recall inspection.
b.
The standards, controls, conditions,
and schedules applicable to the inspections specified in paragraph (a) of this
Article will be prescribed in the manuals approved by the RTA and published on
its official website.
c.
Technical inspections of Autonomous
Vehicles will be conducted periodically once or as often as required.
d.
Reports on the inspection of
Autonomous Vehicles’ systems and technical components will be submitted within
the time frames prescribed by the RTA.
e.
The RTA may delegate the responsibility
of conducting the technical inspections of Autonomous Vehicles to any qualified
entity.
A Permit will be issued subject to
the following:
1. The
Permit applicant must have a commercial licence issued by the competent commercial
licensing authority in the Emirate.
2. The
Permit applicant must submit proof of authorisation from the Competent Entities
to conduct the Activity, where such authorisation is required under the
legislation enforceable by these entities.
3. The
Permit applicant must, in the cases specified by the RTA, provide an
undertaking to provide premises for conducting the Activity and car-park spaces
for Autonomous Vehicles that comply with the controls and standards applicable
to the Activity the applicant intends to carry out.
In
issuing a Permit, the following procedures will apply:
1.
The Permit application will be
submitted to the RTA, together with the supporting documents required for its issuance,
through the channels and on the forms prescribed by the RTA.
2.
The RTA will register the Permit
application and notify the applicant accordingly.
3.
The RTA will consider the
application from a technical perspective to verify that it meets all relevant
conditions and requirements.
4.
Where the application meets the
relevant conditions and requirements, the RTA will determine the same within
ten (10) working days from the date of its submission.
5.
Where the application is rejected,
the RTA will notify the applicant of its decision and the reasons for
rejection.
6.
Where the application is approved,
the RTA will require the Permit applicant to pay the prescribed fees.
a.
In transferring the ownership of an
Autonomous Vehicle from one Operator to another, the following requirements
must be satisfied:
1.
The Autonomous Vehicle must pass the
technical inspection prescribed by the RTA, in accordance with the relevant
standards approved by it.
2.
The Activity of the Operator to whom
the ownership of the Autonomous Vehicle is transferred must be similar to that of
the Operator transferring the ownership.
3.
The Operator to whom the ownership
of the Autonomous Vehicle is transferred must undertake not to change its permitted use
after the transfer of ownership.
b.
The same procedures approved by the
RTA for the transfer of ownership of a Vehicle will apply to the transfer of
ownership of an Autonomous Vehicle.
In
addition to the obligations prescribed in the Law, an Operator must:
1.
immediately notify the RTA of any emergency
malfunctions in the Autonomous Vehicle’s Autonomous Driving System;
2.
take the necessary measures to
manage mechanical failures, respond to emergency situations, and deal with any
commands issued by the Autonomous Driving System that require direct
intervention;
3.
fully comply with safety
requirements and standards approved by the RTA and the Competent Entity;
4.
operate the Autonomous Vehicle
within the lanes and zones designated by the RTA, without deviating from those designated
lanes and zones;
5.
regain control of the Autonomous
Vehicle without delay in the event of any loss of control or the occurrence of
any malfunction that compromises its safe operation;
6.
ensure the presence of an adult in
the vehicle when children under the age of sixteen (16) are inside;
7.
repair the Autonomous Vehicle in the
event of any malfunction or damage resulting from traffic accidents or any
other cause at any maintenance workshop accredited by the Agent; and submit a report to
the RTA detailing the repairs carried out and the cause of the damage or
malfunction, where it relates to the Autonomous Driving System, together with a
technical report certifying that the Autonomous Vehicle is fit to resume
operation;
8.
not
perform any modification, upgrade, or update of any aspect of the Autonomous
Driving System, operational design domain, or electronic applications of an Autonomous Vehicle without first
obtaining the relevant approval of the RTA;
9.
comply
with the protocols and procedures approved by the Competent Entity in all matters relating to accident scene
management and the removal of Vehicles from the accident scene;
10.
provide
an integrated electronic system for storing the operational data of the
Autonomous Vehicle, including its movement and travel
data, maintenance and repair records, accidents and malfunctions it has experienced, and any
other data specified by the RTA. This data must be stored securely and may not
be amended, deleted, or used for any purpose other than operational purposes
without first obtaining the approval of the RTA; and
11.
ensure
the provision of timely and secure updates for the Autonomous Vehicle’s
software so as to maintain its operational readiness to ensure continued
safe operation and compliance with the prescribed safety requirements.
In addition to the obligations
prescribed in the Law, an Agent must:
1. not
activate the Autonomous
Driving System of an Autonomous Vehicle without first obtaining the
approval of the RTA;
2. deactivate
the
Autonomous Driving System immediately upon request by the RTA if a malfunction
or any threat to public safety is detected; and
3. provide periodic maintenance
services to the Autonomous Vehicle to ensure its continued operational
readiness and safe use.
This Resolution will be published in
the Official Gazette and will come into force on the day on which it is
published.
Mattar
Al Tayer
Director
General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors
Roads
and Transport Authority
Issued in Dubai on 10 November 2025
Corresponding to 19 Juma al-Ula 1447 A.H.
©2025 The Supreme Legislation
Committee in the Emirate of Dubai
[1]Every effort has been made to produce an
accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the
purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the
original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text will prevail.