The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has announced a new partnership with DP World, rendering the latter the first strategic partner of the SHIFFT self-driving logistics joint venture.
Established in collaboration with Oxa, the venture forms part of the Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Programme, which aims to utilise future technologies and advanced applications across service and logistics sectors.
This partnership will seek to accelerate the development and deployment of next generation autonomous logistics solutions across ports, terminals, industrial zones and DP World facilities, beginning at Jebel Ali Port – with potential to expand these solutions across the Group’s network of more than 60 ports and terminals worldwide.
The work is set to focus on a range of logistics solutions such as vehicle integration, autonomous driving capabilities, safety and assurance frameworks, fleet management and orchestration, traffic management and routing, operations in complex mixed-use environments, digital twin capabilities, situational intelligence systems and operational performance optimisation.
DP World currently operates over 900 vehicles at Jebel Ali Port, all of which are used for terminal container movement and shuttling cargo between quay cranes, yard stacks and terminal gates. Elsewhere, thousands more vehicles are in use at a range of 60 different ports and terminals, and the company has stated that it views this transition to autonomous operations as a ‘key component’ of its long-term operating strategy.
Ibrahim Al Najjar, SVP – Information Technology at DP World GCC, said:For our customers and partners, autonomous technology translates into more predictable, resilient supply chains that keep cargo moving reliably and at speed. It also creates opportunities for our people to build future-ready skills, while strengthening Dubai’s competitiveness as a destination for trade and investment. By co-developing these technologies here, around real operational needs, we are setting new benchmarks that will benefit the wider industry.
