DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 29, 2023 -- His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, inaugurated the third edition of the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport and honoured the winners of the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport. The hosting of this congress is in line with RTA's efforts to transform 25% of mobility journeys in Dubai into smart and driverless journeys by 2030.

The challenge received 27 submissions globally. Five international firms qualified for the Industry Leaders category: Alexander Dennis, Bright Drive, King Long, Quadribot, and iAuto Technology. Five universities were selected for the finals in the Local Academia category: Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, Khalifa University – Abu Dhabi, University of Dubai, University of Bolton - Ras Al Khaimah, and the American University of Sharjah. 

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured King Long Company from China  who clinched the first place in the Industry Leaders category and was awarded US$1 million. They presented a self-driving bus, six metres in length, capable of reaching maximum speeds of 69 kilometres per hour and can accommodate 12 passengers. The bus is equipped with 27 cameras and sensors, with a battery that can be fully charged in 120 minutes.

Bright Drive Company from Egypt secured second place, garnering US$750,000, for presenting a self-driving bus that is six metres in length and has a top speed of 69 kilometres per hour. This bus can accommodate up to 15 passengers and is uniquely equipped with 16 cameras and sensors and can be fully charged in 180 minutes.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honored Heriot-Watt University Dubai who presented an innovative concept where passengers experienced riding an autonomous vehicle in a virtual reality mode characterised by passenger safety and comfort. It has new features integrating with RTA App and showcased a Journey Planner for bus riders through interactions with a Chatbot.

Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, was the runner-up for US$100,000. The university presented a customer experience concept on autonomous buses by developing a virtual human assistant capable of addressing and responding to passenger inquiries about the bus destination, the number of passengers, and internal and external temperatures.

The Congress closed with the announcement of the upcoming challenge named; 'Dubai Autonomous Transport Zone' for 2025.

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