Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority has launched a new autonomous vehicle passenger route in Riyadh, SPA reported on March 30.

The trial programme will go from Hayat Mall and Riyadh Gallery, as the kingdom expands its self-driving transport programme under Vision 2030.

Malls are a popular pastime in the Middle East due to their air-conditioned shopping experiences and food halls, which are popular with both locals and foreign workers. 

The vehicles will operate daily under direct regulatory and technical supervision, equipped with sensors, cameras and intelligent systems capable of monitoring road conditions and responding to traffic changes in real time.

The launch follows a previous operational phase in which the vehicles completed more than 1,700 trips, carried over 3,000 passengers and covered more than 30,000 kilometres, which the authority said demonstrated readiness for wider rollout.

"The launch of this route represents a continuation of the authority's efforts to advance self-driving vehicle services, elevate safety and operational efficiency standards, and integrate cutting-edge technological solutions," the TGA said.

The authority said further routes were expected in the near future as part of broader plans to expand the service across multiple locations in the kingdom, in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

In December, Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company QCraft plans to enter the Saudi Arabian market and the broader Middle East region.

The company, which specialises in developing advanced autonomous driving technologies, made its first regional appearance at the Commotion Global Summit 2025 held in Riyadh from December 7 to 9.

QCraft's interest in the Middle East follows expansion in Asia and Europe. "We plan to increase our investments and support the local mobility industry through safer and more efficient solutions, relying on clean energy in logistics services," Yu said, IntelliNews previously reported. 

The company is preparing to launch pilot and investment projects in the Arabian region once the market assessment is complete, Yu said. QCraft's Level 2 products have reached approximately 1mn installations globally, whilst Level 4 products have been sold in several cities worldwide including Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.