Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous vehicle start-up supported by Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, is preparing to deploy robotaxis in Dubai as part of its expansion into the Middle East. This initiative follows a $100 million investment from the NEOM Investment Fund (NIF) to establish a joint venture aimed at developing and operating autonomous transport services across the region.
The partnership entails the creation of a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, featuring advanced research and development as well as manufacturing facilities. The objective is to deliver autonomous driving services and smart vehicle infrastructure within NEOM and other key markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Terry Wong, Executive Director of Land Mobility at NEOM, stated that the investment is integral to NEOM’s vision of building a smart, zero-emission, autonomous multi-modal transport system. He emphasised that this collaboration brings NEOM closer to a future of safer, more convenient, and sustainable mobility.
Dr. James Peng, Co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, highlighting the alignment of Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology with NEOM’s futuristic aspirations. He noted that this regional expansion marks a significant milestone in Pony.ai’s global ambitions and advances the development of the global autonomous vehicle industry.
NEOM’s unique development, built from the ground up without existing infrastructure constraints, offers an ideal environment for implementing cutting-edge autonomous mobility solutions across land, sea, and air. The project is powered entirely by renewable energy and builds upon previous investments in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and electric seagliders.
Pony.ai has already achieved milestones in China, operating fully driverless vehicles in cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou, and holding licences to operate in all four Tier-1 cities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen.
