Saudi Arabia’s autonomous vehicle plans progressing as Arthur D. Little explores global mobility sector development
Events that transpired following the COVID-19 outbreak have altered many long-standing habits from the pre-pandemic era, with various sectors implicated in the widespread change. Within the mobility sector, many passengers now favor transport modes perceived as safer and more hygienic, and have shifted their usage accordingly. Arthur D. Little (ADL), the leading management consultancy firm with the longest-standing presence in the Middle East region, elaborates on this and many other findings in their new Autonomous Mobility Journal, the series’ third edition. The journal comprises exclusive coverage of the latest autonomous mobility developments worldwide, shedding light on industry dynamics, prominent use cases, and the vitality for mobility solution providers and governments to anticipate future trends.
“The ongoing pandemic has instigated sizeable disruption in various industries and transportation has not been exempt for this trend. Numerous lessons can be derived from recent events, which is why focusing on latest developments and future landscapes is even more important,” explained Joseph Salem, Partner, and travel & transport practice lead, at Arthur D. Little Middle East. “The latest Autonomous Mobility report reveals that city governments and transport authorities can have the greatest impact on mobility and this is something that implicates the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), with the country’s transportation sector now witnessing several groundbreaking autonomous mobility projects unfolding.”
Many countries worldwide are now racing towards a more future-oriented and user-centric transport ecosystem, with Saudi Arabia well-positioned to become a global leader in this field through Saudi Vision 2030, which has set an ambitious blueprint for the future. With successful economic growth and diversification while rendering increased focus on non-oil industries a topmost priority, the Kingdom’s transportation sector has exhibited robust development accordingly through increasingly practical autonomous vehicle (AV) plans.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has become an established autonomous mobility pioneer having launched the Kingdom’s first AV on its campus in 2019 . With Saudi Public Transport Co. (SAPTCO) providing operational expertise and Local Motors and EasilyMile offering science and technology expertise, KAUST has paved the way for AV piloting within the Kingdom and emphasized the importance of robust strategic partnerships in AV deployment projects.
