Launched in October 2023 by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) Cluster is a strategic initiative to establish Abu Dhabi as the world’s next global industrial mobility hub—spanning autonomous vehicles, eVTOL aircraft, maritime systems, and robotics.

SAVI’s core mandate is to drive foreign direct investment (FDI) and deliver GDP impact at national scale. It does not operate as a venture capital fund, startup accelerator, or equity investor. Instead, SAVI offers non-dilutive support—including business support, infrastructure access, and regulatory enablement—linked to tangible economic outcomes such as capital investment, job creation, industrial output, and commercial deployment.

SAVI enables the development, testing, and commercialisation of advanced mobility solutions by offering:

• Dedicated real-world testing zones across land, sea, and air, developed in coordination with the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), and other government stakeholders.
• A regulatory sandbox model, facilitating engagement with Abu Dhabi and federal regulators, including the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for airspace.
• Access to international markets through the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs), free zones, and logistics networks.

SAVI is focused on companies with validated proof-of-concepts and high technology readiness levels (TRLs) that are ready for scale and industrialisation.

With a projected contribution of AED 22 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and 15,000 new jobs, SAVI is central to the emirate’s long-term economic strategy. It also supports the UAE’s workforce agenda by embedding Emiratization targets in all industrial partnerships and collaborating with universities and vocational institutions to build the talent pipeline required for the mobility industries of the future.

SAVI does not provide equity funding, take ownership stakes, or offer incubation services. It is not a VC fund, startup accelerator, or angel investor. For companies seeking non-dilutive support—including financial support, infrastructure access, and regulatory enablement, contact SAVI directly.

SAVI’s focus is on enabling high-capacity, commercially ready companies that can contribute significantly to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and industrial base. While SAVI does not serve as an incubator or early-stage program, Abu Dhabi offers world-class platforms, such as Hub71, which are designed specifically to support and scale startups. SAVI complements these efforts by serving as the next-stage industrialisation and deployment platform for companies that are market-ready and seeking to scale operations.

SAVI welcomes a wide range of companies, including global OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, AI and software developers, robotics firms, maritime tech providers, and advanced mobility integrators. While SAVI supports a broad range of technologies, it is primarily focused on scalable, capital-intensive firms with a demonstrated ability to industrialise, manufacture, or operate at scale, aligned with Abu Dhabi’s economic impact goals.

SAVI supports the development, testing, and commercialisation of advanced mobility technologies across the land, sea, and air domains, including:

Land:

• Robotaxis and autonomous shuttles
• Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles
• Autonomous last-mile delivery systems
• AI-based fleet management platforms

Air:

• eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility
• Autonomous drones for logistics, surveillance, and inspection
• Fixed-wing and hybrid UAVs for long-range missions and cargo

Sea:

• Seagliders and electric hydrofoils for coastal transport
• Autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) for logistics, security, and research
• Fully autonomous and remotely operated boats for environmental monitoring and port operations

SAVI targets companies with high TRLs and proven PoCs, capable of progressing from testing to real-world deployment.

SAVI facilitates collaboration with regulators through a regulatory sandbox framework, working with the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), and federal entities such as the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). This enables companies to co-develop compliance pathways, safety protocols, and certification frameworks across land, sea, and air, accelerating their commercialisation timeline.

SAVI provides access to dedicated test zones across air, land, and sea, developed in coordination with DMT, ITC, and other Abu Dhabi entities. Companies also benefit from technical assistance, logistics support, and integration with Abu Dhabi’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem, enabling prototyping, validation, and operational readiness.

SAVI participants benefit from the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) and industrial free zone advantages, allowing seamless entry into global markets across Asia, Africa, and Europe. ADIO provides tailored support across licensing, land allocation, setup, and more.

To engage with SAVI, companies can contact ADIO to initiate a structured onboarding process. ADIO provides end-to-end facilitation, from market entry, testing zone access, regulatory engagement, to operational scaling and more.

SAVI’s mission is to enable full commercialisation. It supports the transition from PoC validation to regulatory approval and deployment, including real-world use cases such as robotaxis, autonomous boats, and the UAE’s first commercial eVTOL flights.

SAVI is expected to contribute AED 22 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and create 15,000 jobs, with long-term economic returns across industrial mobility, advanced manufacturing, and high-value services.

Yes. SAVI is fully aligned with national workforce objectives and embeds Emiratization targets into all industrial partnerships, ensuring that UAE nationals are an integral part of the smart mobility ecosystem’s growth.

Yes. SAVI works with leading universities, R&D labs, and vocational education providers to design programs that feed directly into the workforce required for factories, operators, and technology integrators within the cluster. These partnerships ensure a sustainable talent pipeline to support Abu Dhabi’s leadership in mobility innovation and industrialisation.