The Dubai crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has shared a video of him taking a ride in a self-driving car, leaving his fans and followers surprised.
In the video shared on his Instagram, the prince is seen seated inside the autonomous vehicle during a test drive, with no hands on the controls. He posted the video with a caption that reads, “Hands off. Future on.”
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Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), was also seen sitting inside the car.
What does the video show?
The video opens with the prince showing the inside of the self-driving car. At one point, a voice is heard asking, “Your highness, can I have a selfie with you?” Sheikh Hamdan instantly replies, “Yes, of course”.
The voice heard is of Liang Zhang, Managing Director for Europe and MENA at Baidu, the operator of Apollo Go, reported Khaleej Times.
{{/usCountry}}The voice heard is of Liang Zhang, Managing Director for Europe and MENA at Baidu, the operator of Apollo Go, reported Khaleej Times.
{{/usCountry}}According to the outlet, the RTA has given Baidu's Apollo Go the first license to test fully autonomous vehicles on public roads without a safety driver. Reportedly, the company has also opened an autonomous vehicle operations and control centre at Dubai Science Park. The permit allows the company to run trials in certain areas, including Jumeirah and Zabeel.
The company started its trial last year. The company told the outlet that this was the first time its self-driving service had operated outside China.
How did social media react?
An individual commented, “Future-ready leadership.” Another remarked, “I love it.” A third posted, “This is the future.” A fourth wrote, “This is the future of Dubai.” Many reacted using heart emoticons.
Who is Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?
In addition to being the crown prince of Dubai, he is also the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
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He completed his education at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government. He was also a part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.