Dubai has begun a four-week trial of Dubai Glydways, a driverless electric transport system being tested at Bluewaters that could eventually connect Metro stations with residential communities, business districts and popular attractions.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched the trial after a five-minute demonstration ride along the designated route. The aim is to assess the vehicles’ safety, reliability, journey times and potential integration with Dubai’s public transport network.
Dubai Glydways could connect Metro stations to key destinations
The RTA is studying a proposed 2.8km route linking National Paints Metro Station with Bluewaters, alongside potential connections serving Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City.
These routes are still under consideration, and no public launch dates have been confirmed.
The system uses autonomous electric vehicles travelling on dedicated guideways, separate from regular road traffic. Each vehicle can carry four to six passengers, reach speeds of up to 50km/h and travel up to 250km on a single battery charge.
Glydways says its network could eventually carry more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions, although the Bluewaters trial is intended to assess operational performance rather than demonstrate full network capacity.
When can Dubai residents use Glydways?
The current four-week trial focuses on vehicle performance, safety technology, journey efficiency and ease of use. The RTA will use the findings to assess future expansion opportunities.
The project is being developed through cooperation between the RTA, Glydways and Dubai Holding, which is supporting the testing environment and required infrastructure at Bluewaters.
For residents and visitors, the potential benefit is more convenient connections between Metro stations and destinations that may require additional travel by road. However, fares, public passenger access and the timeline for any wider rollout have not yet been confirmed.
For now, the Bluewaters trial marks an early step towards determining whether driverless electric pods could become another option for getting around Dubai.
