Driverless vehicles may hit the United Arab Emirates roads by 2021, the country’s state media WAM reported. The UAE is preparing to become the world’s first nation to have regulations on autonomous vehicles, it added.

The UAE is expected to issue the final standards and regulations in 2020, and vehicles will enter the market within a year.

“We will announce the first draft of the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles tomorrow (Tuesday) in the 5th International Conference on Future Mobility to be held in Dubai, ” said Abdulla Al Maeeni, Director-General of Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, ESMA, reported WAM.

Apart from the ESMA’s regulations for autonomous vehicles, relevant authorities in related sectors such as insurance, finance, city administration etc. have to also issue regulations in this regard, the official clarified.

The UAE was the first country that formulated standards and regulations for hydrogen cell vehicles and electric cars in the region, Al Maeeni said.

Likewise the UAE has been a pioneer in issuing standards and regulations for many products, he said.

The certifications issued by the ESMA for various products have helped the UAE exporters to enter new markets across the globe, the official revealed.