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 significant economic impact at national scale by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), accelerating advanced manufacturing and industrialisation, creating high-quality jobs, and commercialising transformative smart mobility solutions. By 2045, SAVI targets a contribution of AED 22 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and aims to generate 15,000 full-time jobs (FTEs).

SAVI provides targeted support, including:

• Dedicated real-world testing zones across land, sea, and air, developed in coordination with the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), and other stakeholders.
• Regulatory facilitation through a sandbox model involving collaboration with Abu Dhabi and federal regulators, including the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
• Tailored financial support linked to measurable economic outcomes such as investment, employment, and industrial growth.
• Access to global markets through the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs), free zones, and robust logistics infrastructure.

Additionally, SAVI collaborates with universities and vocational institutes to develop a skilled talent pipeline aligned with Emiratization goals.

SAVI is not a venture capital fund, startup accelerator, or equity investor. Instead, SAVI functions as a strategic cluster enabling mature, commercially-ready companies—especially those capable of significant industrial impact—to scale operations effectively in Abu Dhabi.

SAVI provides specialised support, including access to dedicated testing and manufacturing infrastructure, regulatory approval facilitation, strategic guidance, and tailored financial support designed around specific economic outcomes, rather than direct funding or equity investments.

Early-stage or seed-stage startups requiring equity investment or incubation support are encouraged to consider dedicated platforms such as Abu Dhabi’s Hub71. SAVI complements these platforms by specifically focusing on companies ready for large-scale commercial deployment and industrialisation.

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.