DEKRA to operate Dubai Mobility Labs test site for automated and connected driving
Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority has handed DEKRA the technical and organisational responsibility for Dubai Mobility Labs, the Middle East's first dedicated test site for highly automated mobility.
- more than 100 years
What Happened
DEKRA will operate and manage the newly opened Dubai Mobility Labs (DML), a facility specialising in automated driving and future mobility testing. The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has assigned the global expert organisation DEKRA the technical and organisational responsibility for the new facility. For DEKRA, this marks another step toward expanding its international footprint in the development of modern mobility solutions and further deepening its expertise.
- Dedicated test tracks
- A controlled multi-purpose testing area
- Public-road testing environments across Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Qudra
- The first dedicated test site in the Middle East for highly automated and cutting-edge mobility technologies, established by the RTA
The facility provides a real-world testing environment for automated vehicles, supporting the safe deployment of self-driving technologies. It enables vehicle manufacturers, technology providers and mobility innovators to safely test and validate next-generation transportation technologies under real-world conditions. The goal is to build trust in the mobility of the future and to ensure compliance with international safety standards through independent testing and validation across the entire vehicle life cycle, from simulation and on-site testing to type approval.
“For more than 100 years, DEKRA has been committed to safe mobility. Helping to shape new technologies in the mobility sector in a safe and sustainable way – thereby building trust and enabling innovation in the first place – is one of our strategic goals. Our involvement as the operator of the Dubai Mobility Lab is an integral part of this strategy in one of the world's fast-growing regions globally.”
DEKRA already has extensive experience in testing and validating systems and functions of automated and connected driving (ADAS/AD), thanks to its state-of-the-art testing facilities in Klettwitz, Germany, and Málaga, Spain. The organisation describes itself as the world's largest testing and certification organisation (TIC) in the automotive sector. With the Dubai assignment, DEKRA is further expanding its activities in the Middle East.
Previously from DEKRA
Recent DEKRA coverage shows the organisation working on automotive safety and international cooperation. In August 2026 DEKRA and CATARC signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Tianjin to support the transformation and international development of the automotive industry. DEKRA's Road Safety Report 2026 also warned that even a quick glance at a cell phone can cause a severe crash, and that automated driving features will not fully solve that problem.
- CATARC and DEKRA sign MoU to boost automotive innovation and global market access
- DEKRA report: Even a quick glance at your cell phone can cause a severe crash
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of DEKRA's official releases.
Why this matters
The Middle East gets its first dedicated test site for highly automated and cutting-edge mobility technologies, giving vehicle manufacturers, technology providers and mobility innovators a place to validate self-driving systems under real-world conditions. For DEKRA, already testing ADAS/AD systems in Germany and Spain, it is another step in expanding its international footprint and its activities in a fast-growing region.
Terms in This Story
- ADAS/AD
- Advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving – vehicle functions that assist a human driver or take over driving tasks.
- TIC
- Testing, inspection and certification – independent organisations that check products and systems against standards.
- Type approval
- The official regulatory sign-off that a vehicle or system meets the standards required for it to be sold or used.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.