Dubai Police has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with local firm Acacus Technologies to implement driverless patrol vehicles by 2020.

The project will be implemented in phases.

The first phase involves patrol cars equipped with cameras and video analytics, while succeeding phases will include added capabilities such as object detection, tracking and advanced driverless technology.

Acacus says the agreement involves revamping the entire fleet of Dubai Police patrol vehicles to become driverless vehicles. However, it did not specify the timeline for project completion.

Acacus has developed and implemented software and hardware including fleet management systems across enterprises, corporates and airlines in the UAE, and the Middle East and North Africa region.

CEO and founder Talal Ben Halim says the company is keen to have the driverless patrol vehicles on roads “well ahead of our target launch date”.

The UAE is the world’s eighth most prepared country in terms of utilising autonomous vehicles, according to an index generated last year by global consultancy KPMG.

In particular, Dubai is aiming for autonomous journeys to account for a quarter of all journeys by 2030.