Doha, December 14 (QNA) - HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani attended the signing of 'Project Mobility Qatar' agreement between Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Volkswagen Group, in a ceremony held Saturday on the sideline of the Doha Forum 2019.

The signing ceremony was attended by a lineup of Their Excellences ministers as well s Qatari and German VIPs.

The agreement was signed by HE Chief Executive Officer of QIA Mansour bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud and CEO of Volkswagen Group Herbert Diess.

Under the agreement, an advanced fleet of 4th generation self-driving electric buses will be inaugurated for the first time to announce the birth of a new era of urban transport in the capital of future for 2022.

The agreement affirms the State of Qatar's keenness to adopt smart and environmentally friendly technologies, with the aim of developing a pilot project for self-driving transport, and transforming the future of urban mobility into a practical and sustainable application for self-driving bus services in the State of Qatar and in order to enhance cooperation between the Volkswagen Group brands as a blueprint for future autonomous driving solutions. To that end, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles company; Scania; MOIA Ride-Sharing Service; and AID Autonomous Intelligent Driving will play a critical important role in the vital, pioneering project that will make Qatar the first country in the world to implement a autonomous driving, emissions-free public transportation system in the world's biggest sporting event.

Through the Project, Qatar Investment Authority will work with Volkswagen to develop the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to integrate a fleet of autonomous vehicles into the public transport network in Doha. The Volkswagen ID.BUZZ electric self-driving cars will accommodate four passengers on semi-fixed lines in the West Bay, while Scania high-tech buses will accommodate larger groups.

This pioneering project will create a comprehensive environmental system for autonomous driving, including setting the appropriate legal framework and infrastructure for the smart city and transferring expertise and knowledge, which can be used as a blueprint for transformation in urban transport networks inside and outside Qatar. Closed testing of cars and shuttle buses is expected to start in 2020, and launching the project will start by 2022, providing a technical demonstration of future autonomous driving.

Commenting on this achievement, CEO of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Mansour bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, said "In order for our cities to advance, we urgently need a new wave of innovation and creativity, such as emissions-free, Artificial Intelligence technologies that will help to enhance urban mobility, reduce congestion, and improve energy efficiency."

He expressed QIA's pride for partnering with Volkswagen Group to ensure that Qatar is at the forefront of countries using all new technologies. The development of the smart transportation solution will help change the future of urban mobility, within Qatar and around the world, he added.

For his part, CEO of Volkswagen Group Herbert Diess said that the 'Project Mobility Qatar' Qatar will play a vital role in the company's strategy in facing the challenges of economic growth, social development and environmental management stipulated in its vision and as a confirmation of its commitment to invest in the next generation of transportation, adding that the company will have real experiences of learning and will use the project as a starting point for future generations.

CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles company Dr. Thomas Sedran identified the project objectives, saying that taking advantage of tomorrow's revolution by incorporating the self-driving system that is currently being developed by "AID" project and the feature of smart vehicle sharing designed by "MOIA" company, and providing it with the possibility of booking through the application, will shape the future of the emissions-free urban mobility. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has become an integrated provider of mobility, with special focus on self-driving, he said.

For his part, Scania's CEO Henrik Henriksson explained that Scania aims to drive the transformation towards sustainable transport, adding that in the coming years, technological progress and infrastructure development in self-driving electric vehicles will be a key factor in this transformation. He Noted that with regard to the transportation of people, it is also important to have a higher degree of participation and mass transport, adding that through the current progress in self-driving transport, it will be easier to add more flexibility in the mass transportation of people. He expressed happiness to play a role in advanced projects like this project in the State of Qatar. (QNA)