Tesla’s most advanced driver-assistance technology could be activated in the UAE as early as January, according to chief executive Elon Musk.
If introduced, the UAE would become the first market in the Middle East to gain access to the “supervised” version of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.
“Hopefully, next month,” Musk wrote on X when asked about the availability of FSD in the UAE, according to posts on the platform.
The comments followed Musk’s recent visit to the country, during which he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other senior Emirati leaders.
Tesla’s UAE website lists FSD (Supervised) as an upgrade priced at AED28,100 (USD7,600), offering features such as automated steering, highway driving, lane changes, overtaking and parking.
The company says future software updates will allow vehicles to “drive themselves almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention”, although the system still requires active driver supervision and does not amount to full autonomy.
The UAE has positioned itself as a global testing ground for autonomous mobility, with Dubai targeting 25 per cent of all journeys to be autonomous by 2030.
Chinese firms including WeRide, Baidu and Pony.ai have already launched driverless robotaxi trials in designated areas of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, using vehicles equipped with advanced sensors such as lidar and radar.
A similar sensor-heavy approach underpins Waymo, the autonomous taxi business owned by Google parent Alphabet.
