Qatar moves closer to launching fully driverless Karwa taxis

Qatar has taken another major step towards autonomous public transport after the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with Mowasalat (Karwa), successfully completed a standard operational trial of its self-driving electric taxis.

The trial route began at the Ministry of Transport headquarters, travelled to Old Doha Port, and returned to its starting point, marking another milestone in Qatar's smart mobility ambitions.

Engineer Abdullah Saif Al-Sulaiti, Assistant Undersecretary for Land Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Transport, said the project supports the ministry's strategy to adopt advanced autonomous vehicle technologies and environmentally friendly transport solutions in line with international best practices.

Officials said the successful trial demonstrated the readiness of the operational and technical systems required for wider deployment and paved the way for the project's second phase.

According to Engineer Naila Khalid Al Nuaimi, Acting Director of the Roads Affairs Department, the next stage will test fully driverless vehicles without a safety officer on board, with operations instead monitored remotely in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The first phase of the project began in August 2025, followed by the launch of a pilot commercial service through the Karwa app in December 2025.

Since then, the autonomous taxis have completed more than 2,500 passenger trips, operating with a trained safety officer seated in the driver's seat. The project achieved more than a 94% success rate without human intervention, while also recording high levels of passenger satisfaction and exceeding targeted safety benchmarks.

The second phase will initially deploy two fully autonomous electric taxis on three previously tested routes:

• Old Doha Port – Gate Mall
• Souq Waqif – Sheraton Hotel
• Museum of Islamic Art – West Bay

The rollout will be gradual, with each route entering service only after meeting strict safety requirements. Comprehensive insurance, emergency response procedures and continuous coordination with security authorities will remain in place throughout the testing period.

Once operational safety has been fully validated, the autonomous taxi service will be made available to the public through the Karwa app, marking another step towards Qatar's vision of a smarter, more sustainable public transport network.

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