Pony AI Inc. (“Pony.ai” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: PONY), a global innovator in autonomous driving technology, has officially partnered with Mowasalat (“Karwa”), Qatar’s largest transportation provider, to deploy autonomous vehicles on the nation’s roads. The collaboration represents a major milestone for both companies, expanding Pony.ai’s reach in the Middle East and advancing Qatar’s commitment to smart, sustainable mobility.
As part of the agreement, Pony.ai has begun operating its robotaxis on public roads in Doha. This first phase of testing involves safety drivers behind the wheel to oversee operations and ensure compliance with local regulations. The pilot program will allow the autonomous driving systems to adapt to Qatar’s distinctive road network, weather conditions, and traffic patterns. By conducting these localized trials, Pony.ai aims to optimize its technology for the region while laying the groundwork for future large-scale deployment.
For Qatar, this initiative is closely tied to its National Vision 2030, a long-term development plan focused on economic diversification and sustainable growth. Eng. Ahmed Hassan Al-Obaidly, Chief Executive Officer of Mowasalat, emphasized the importance of this partnership in advancing national objectives. “Working with Pony.ai represents a landmark step in our mission to modernize Qatar’s transportation ecosystem,” he said. “After the success of delivering world-class transport operations during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, we are now moving towards integrating cutting-edge autonomous technologies into our services. This not only strengthens safety and efficiency but also ensures that we continue to align with Qatar’s broader goals of innovation and sustainability.”
From Pony.ai’s perspective, the partnership with Mowasalat enhances its global strategy of developing scalable solutions through collaboration with strong regional partners. Dr. James Peng, Chairman and CEO of Pony.ai, highlighted the significance of the move. “Qatar presents a unique and dynamic operating environment for autonomous driving,” Peng explained. “By combining Mowasalat’s deep local expertise with our advanced full-stack autonomous driving platform, we can create a powerful ecosystem that supports sustainable mobility in the region. This deployment is an important step forward in realizing our vision of autonomous mobility everywhere.”
Pony.ai’s technology is built around its proprietary “Virtual Driver” platform—a vehicle-agnostic system that integrates software, hardware, and services to deliver reliable autonomous driving solutions. The company is focused on creating commercially viable business models that enable mass production and deployment of autonomous vehicles across multiple use cases, from ride-hailing services to logistics and public transportation.
Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has rapidly expanded its presence beyond China to include key markets in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East. The company’s latest entry into Qatar underscores its ambition to bring autonomous driving to a truly global scale.
With testing now underway in Doha, both Pony.ai and Mowasalat see the project as the beginning of a long-term collaboration. The goal is not only to advance autonomous mobility in Qatar but also to establish the country as a regional leader in adopting next-generation transport technologies.
