SAVI cluster’s flagship event to highlight emerging smart mobility solutions across air, land, sea and robotics during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) will organise the second edition of DRIFTx, the global platform for showcasing smart and autonomous mobility technologies, scheduled to run from 10 to 12 November 2025. The event forms a central part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (ADAW), hosted by the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC), and will bring together leading industry figures to explore mobility advancements spanning aviation, automotive, maritime and robotics.
Last year’s DRIFTx welcomed more than 8,000 attendees representing over 65 countries and culminated in 12 landmark partnership agreements. This year’s edition builds on that momentum, introducing a larger and more immersive format at Yas Marina Circuit. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness real-time demonstrations of autonomous aircraft, self-driving cars, unmanned marine systems and next-generation robotic solutions.
A significant addition to the 2025 programme is an expanded focus on robotics, acknowledging its growing role in shaping future supply chains, industrial production and municipal operations. By linking robotics with multi-modal autonomous mobility, DRIFTx reflects Abu Dhabi’s approach to fostering innovation ecosystems that enable sustainable industrial and technological development.
H.E. Badr Al Olama, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, said: “As the flagship event of Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (SAVI) cluster, DRIFTx demonstrates the strength of Abu Dhabi’s dynamic ecosystem, where regulation, capital and innovation merge seamlessly to accelerate progress. By bringing together the most innovative players in mobility with regulators, investors and the public, Abu Dhabi is shaping the future of transport across air, land and sea.”
More than an exhibition, DRIFTx is designed to be a platform for commercial acceleration, enabling prototypes and pilots to progress by enabling direct collaboration with investors, regulators and industry stakeholders.
Investors at DRIFTx will be presented with the opportunity to engage with commercially viable, scalable technologies, supported by a clear governmental commitment to long-term economic transformation. Visitors, meanwhile, will discover how autonomous systems are advancing safety, reducing risk, and improving efficiency, laying the foundation for long-term societal acceptance and trust.
For international mobility companies, the exhibition offers not only a showcase for their technologies, but a tangible entry point into Abu Dhabi, which provides seamless access to high-growth markets across the GCC, Africa, South Asia and beyond. Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for international expansion is further reinforced by the UAE’s extensive global network of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs), which unlock preferential market access to over 2.5 billion consumers worldwide.
DRIFTx is the flagship event of the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industries (SAVI) cluster, Abu Dhabi’s multi-modal hub for the development of smart and autonomous mobility technologies across air, land, sea and robotics. As a key element of the SAVI cluster, the exhibition plays a pivotal role within ADIO’s broader cluster strategy, which aims to attract market-leading companies, develop advanced industries and generate high-value, knowledge-based jobs across priority sectors. The SAVI cluster is projected to contribute AED 44 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and create more than 35,000 jobs. For more information visit: https://event.driftx.abudhabi/,
