File picture of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority testing Driverless Vehicles Project within Sustainable City at Dubailand, Al-Qudra Road. Image Credit: RTA

Abu Dhabi: Driverless vehicles may hit the UAE roads in 2021 as the UAE is preparing to become the first country in the world to have regulations on autonomous vehicles, a top official told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on Monday.

"We will announce the first draft of the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles tomorrow (Tuesday) in the 5th International Conference on Future Mobility to be held in Dubai, " said Abdulla Al Maeeni, Director-General of Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, ESMA.

The conference will discuss the draft, and if it is approved, the UAE will be the first country in the world to have the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles, he said in an interview on the sidelines of the annual UAE Government Meetings in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE is expected to issue the final standards and regulations in 2020, and accordingly autonomous vehicles may enter the UAE market within one year afterwards by 2021, he explained.

Apart from the ESMA's regulations for autonomous vehicles, relevant authorities in related sectors such as insurance, finance, city administration etc. have to also issue regulations in this regard, the official clarified.

The UAE was the first country that formulated standards and regulations for hydrogen cell vehicles and electric cars in the region, Al Maeeni said.

Likewise the UAE has been a pioneer in issuing standards and regulations for many products, he said.