Inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit reveals programme, spotlighting regulation, real-world deployments and cross-sector scale
- High-level programme confirms sessions on AI safety and standards, human-AI trust, urban air mobility, smart ports and cities, and cross-sector industrial integration.
- Global convening sets out commercialisation pathways to 2030/2040, aligning policy, investment and deployment at city scale.
- Summit anchors Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (10-15 November 2025), alongside DRIFTx exhibition, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).
ABU DHABI, UAE, Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The programme for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, taking place on 10 November 2025, has been revealed, with global industry leaders gathering to tackle the sector's most pressing questions around regulation, integration and scale, alongside the latest advances in AI, robotics and smart mobility.
Organised by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC), and the opening event of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (ADAW), the summit will define the next chapter of smart and autonomous mobility and underscore Abu Dhabi's role as a global testbed where autonomy is moving from pilot initiatives to public benefit across land, sea, air and robotics, as well as industrial applications.
Held under the theme Where the Future of Smart and Autonomous Mobility Takes Shape, the summit features 13 sessions and more than 30 speakers, designed to accelerate collaboration between policymakers, operators, investors and innovators, and to translate regulation into real-world scale.
The summit will open with a Leadership Dialogue on how investment, integration and innovation will shape Abu Dhabi's autonomous economy, mapping commercialisation pathways to 2030/2040, the public-private partnerships that will enable them, and the governance and infrastructure that will support resilient, integrated cities. A panel on Regulating Autonomy will then put Safety First, Then Scale into practice, from cybersecurity and data governance to building and measuring public trust.
The agenda will then focus on deployment with From Concept to Reality, spotlighting robotaxis, public transport and last-mile delivery models that will scale, followed by Powering Autonomy on the electrified, resilient infrastructure that will underpin city-wide operations.
Human-AI Synergy will explore explainable AI, human oversight and service design that will communicate risk clearly, while AI-Driven Decision-Making will go inside the real-time AI stack – drones, smart roads and logistics on edge and secure cloud.
A Cross-Sector Collaboration session will show how mobility, energy, logistics and technology leaders will structure partnerships to unlock bankable use cases. Designing Smart Ports and Cities will detail autonomy-ready urban design and industrial applications, and Urban Air Mobility will tackle certification, airspace integration and connecting ports, airports and districts. Smart Cities in Action will share live transformations, and Financing and Insuring New Asset Classes will conclude with how capital and coverage models will adapt for next-generation platforms.
Some of the leading industry spokespeople participating in the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit include Sherif Tawfik, Chief Partnership Officer, G42 at Microsoft; Tony Xu Han, Founder, Chairman and CEO of WeRide; Nikhil Goel, CCO of Archer Aviation; Dr Talib Alhinai, UAE General Manager of Archer Aviation; Matt Chasen, CEO of LIFT Aircraft; Tobias Liebelt, CEO of BENTELER Mobility; Mark Seeger, Co-CEO and Founder of Glydways; Michael Sønderby, Acting CEO of SteerAI; George Prentzas, CEO of Versa Aerospace; Hugo Fozzati, Chief Business Officer of Tensor; Desmond Wheatley, CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board of BEAM Global; Sven Beiker, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Mobility and Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business; His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council; His Excellency Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport; His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; His Excellency Badr Salim Al Olama, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office; Stéphane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE; Tariq Ahmed Al Wahedi, Group CEO of 7X; Fay Arjomandi, Founder and CEO of mimik; Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports; Mohamed Salah, Group CEO of Advanced Mobility Hub; and Rashid Matar Al Manai, CEO of LODD Autonomous.
His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs and Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council said: "Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week reflects our commitment to shaping the era of intelligent autonomy – where machines think, adapt and act alongside us. It's not just about technology; it's about reimagining mobility, industry and the human experience itself."
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week event line-up:
10 November – Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit
The six-day programme begins with the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, where industry pioneers, policymakers, and investors will convene to take part in high-level dialogues that will define the next chapter of intelligent mobility.
10-12 November – DRIFTx exhibition
Over three days, DRIFTx will showcase smart and autonomous mobility solutions across air, land, sea and robotics in a live, interactive exhibition.
10-15 November – RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025
Running throughout ADAW, from 10-15 November, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025, hosted by Khalifa University and held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, will bring together top international teams to compete in AI-driven autonomous robotics challenges.
15 November – Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL)
ADAW will conclude with the second edition of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), a motorsport display demonstrating the cutting edge of autonomous racing technology. Organised by ASPIRE and Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the event will feature a US$2.25 million prize pool and be attended by elite research teams from 10 countries.
For more information on Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week 2025, visit: autonomous.abudhabi and follow our social media channels at @autonomousad.
Accredited media can register interest and request interviews with confirmed speakers via [email protected].
About the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC)
Established in 2024, the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC) is responsible for setting the strategic direction of Abu Dhabi's smart and autonomous technologies sector. Driving policy, regulation, investment and innovation through collaboration with government entities, global innovators and industry stakeholders, SASC is shaping a world-class ecosystem that positions Abu Dhabi at the forefront of future technologies and as a leading global hub for intelligent mobility and autonomous systems.
About Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week
Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (ADAW) is the emirate's flagship platform for advancing smart mobility and autonomous systems across land, sea, air, robotics and industry. Organised by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC), the inaugural edition brings together global sector leaders, policymakers, innovators and investors to connect, collaborate and accelerate the future of autonomous technology. Commencing with the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit, the week's flagship event for high-level dialogue and partnerships, the programme is further strengthened by initiatives such as DRIFTx, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 (RCAP 2025) and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), reinforcing Abu Dhabi's role as a global hub for innovation, investment and the safe, sustainable deployment of autonomous technologies.
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