emirates7 - The Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) pavilion at UMEX 2026 showcased the latest innovations of Emirati company SteerAI, the council’s commercial arm specialising in autonomous vehicle mobility systems, through the display of the XRIFT autonomous ground vehicle, designed specifically to operate in challenging land missions, desert environments and rugged terrain across the UAE.
The XRIFT vehicle is capable of carrying multiple types of payloads, including unmanned aerial vehicles, logistical loads and other mission-specific equipment. It operates fully autonomously in harsh environments without human intervention, while allowing for immediate human control and rapid reactivation of the autonomous system when required.
Omar Hafa, Head of Operations at SteerAI, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the autonomous driving technology and vehicle control system were developed entirely in the UAE by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the research arm of ATRC.
He noted that development of the system took between five and six years, and that all vehicle engineering was carried out in the UAE, positioning the innovation as an advanced sovereign technology designed to meet both local and international market needs.
He added that the BUD-E vehicle, one of the XRIFT platforms, represents an advanced all-terrain ground vehicle that has demonstrated high efficiency across numerous operational scenarios and is already in wide use in the UAE. The platform has been converted into a fully autonomous vehicle by removing all human-operated equipment and integrating a complete autonomous driving system, advanced sensors and computing units, enabling it to operate at Level 4 autonomy.
The XRIFT vehicle is capable of carrying multiple types of payloads, including unmanned aerial vehicles, logistical loads and other mission-specific equipment. It operates fully autonomously in harsh environments without human intervention, while allowing for immediate human control and rapid reactivation of the autonomous system when required.
Omar Hafa, Head of Operations at SteerAI, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the autonomous driving technology and vehicle control system were developed entirely in the UAE by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the research arm of ATRC.
He noted that development of the system took between five and six years, and that all vehicle engineering was carried out in the UAE, positioning the innovation as an advanced sovereign technology designed to meet both local and international market needs.
He added that the BUD-E vehicle, one of the XRIFT platforms, represents an advanced all-terrain ground vehicle that has demonstrated high efficiency across numerous operational scenarios and is already in wide use in the UAE. The platform has been converted into a fully autonomous vehicle by removing all human-operated equipment and integrating a complete autonomous driving system, advanced sensors and computing units, enabling it to operate at Level 4 autonomy.