Dubai Future Foundation and Oxa Launch Joint Venture, Transforming Dubai into Global Hub for Autonomous Logistics

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and Oxa, a global leader in autonomous vehicle technology, today announced the launch of SHIFFT, a joint venture that will establish Dubai as a global hub for autonomous logistics.

SHIFFT will incorporate self-driving technology into a fully integrated autonomous logistics and worksite intelligence product, enabling end-to-end operational deployment. It will unlock productivity, efficiency and safety gains for customers – increasing operational resilience and output.

The focus of the joint venture will be on putting autonomous vehicles to work in ports and airports. With a commitment to rapid commercialisation, SHIFFT will launch its first scalable commercial deployment in Dubai before the end of 2027.

The autonomous systems deployed by SHIFFT will utilise Oxa’s safe, configurable, and explainable self-driving software, Oxa Driver, paired with Oxa’s cloud-based fleet management software, Oxa Hub. Oxa’s autonomy hardware systems will also be utilised, which are designed to integrate with existing vehicle fleets.

SHIFFT will directly contribute to Dubai’s goal to double foreign trade volume by 2033. It forms an integral part of Dubai’s Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Programme, launched in November 2024 by DFF, which aims to boost the knowledge-based economy, create high-tech jobs, and establish Dubai as a regional R&D hub.

“To achieve Dubai’s ambition of doubling foreign trade by 2033, we must continue to develop and deploy solutions that strengthen the speed, efficiency and resilience of our logistics sector,” said Khalifa Al Qama, Chief of Dubai's RDI Ecosystem, overseen by Dubai Future Foundation. “SHIFFT reflects the purpose of the Dubai RDI Programme – bringing together global expertise and local capabilities to develop commercially viable solutions with real-world impact. Through this joint venture, we are advancing autonomous mobility, creating new economic opportunities and strengthening Dubai’s position as a global hub for the future of logistics.”

Paul Newman, Founder and CEO of Oxa, added: “Forming this new business with DFF will accelerate the commercialisation of Oxa's Industrial Mobile Autonomy (IMA) technology, turning ordinary work vehicles into a digital workforce. Operating in major industrial environments, we will leverage autonomy to unlock new levels of efficiency, reliability and safety for operators of industrial fleets.”