The company, also known as A2Z, said Feb. 26 that it delivered an export approval certificate to its local joint venture in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 25 local time, alongside a South Korean special envoy delegation led by Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff to the president.
Autonomous driving is designated by the South Korean government as a national core technology, requiring prior approval from relevant authorities for overseas exports on technology security grounds. A2Z said it received approval after a review by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, becoming the first in the autonomous driving field to secure such export clearance.
Attendees included Ha Jung-woo, senior secretary for AI Future Planning at the presidential office; Choi Young-jun, minister-counselor at the South Korean Embassy in the UAE; and Kim Sang-jin, director at the National AI Strategy Committee, according to the company.
A2Z said its chief strategy officer, Yoo Min-sang, shared the joint venture’s business roadmap and discussed strategies for pilot operations and commercialization. Munira Al Marzouki, a managing director at Space42, the joint venture partner, also confirmed the approval certificate.
With the export approval, A2Z plans to deploy in the UAE its self-developed Level 4 autonomous vehicle, ROii, along with various modified vehicles. The company said it aims to win $7.6 million (about 11 billion won) in business orders within 2026 and plans to generate $78 million (about 110 billion won) in local sales by 2035. It said the figures reflect UAE government policy goals, including converting 25% of Dubai public transportation to autonomous operation by 2030 and a full shift to autonomous driving in Abu Dhabi by 2040.
“Autonomous driving is a national strategic industry that combines AI with semiconductors, communications, software and urban infrastructure,” CEO Han Ji-hyung said. “This export approval goes beyond one company’s overseas expansion and shows that autonomous driving has entered the global stage as a core technology to help lead South Korea into the world’s top three AI powers.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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