Driverless vehicles may hit the UAE highways by 2021 as the UAE is arranging to become the first country in the world to have regulations on autonomous vehicles.

Abdulla Al Maeeni, the Director-General of Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) stated, "We will reveal the chief draft of the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles in the 5th international conference on Future Mobility which is going to be held in Dubai".

The conference will deliberate on the draft, and if it is sanctioned, the UAE will be the first country in the world to have the standards and regulations for autonomous vehicles, he mentioned on the sidelines of the 3rd annual meetings of the UAE Government in Abu Dhabi. It is anticipated that UAE will issue the final standards and regulations in 2020, and as a result, autonomous vehicles may arrive in the market within one year, he clarified.

Relevant authorities in interrelated sectors such as finance, insurance, city administration etc. Should also issue guidelines in this regard together with the Esma's regulations for independent vehicles, added one of the officials.

The UAE was also the foremost country that articulated standards and regulations for electric cars and hydrogen cell vehicles in the region, stated Al Maeeni.