Maple Leaf Launches First Autonomous Driving Demonstration in Oman, Bringing Chinese Autonomous Driving Technology to the Middle East
SALALAH, OMAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 September 2026 – On September 7, local time in Oman, witnessed by Bater, Executive Vice Governor of Hainan Province, and Khamis bin Mohammed Al-Shamakhi, Undersecretary for Transport at Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), Maple Leaf and MTCIT signed a comprehensive agreement on the next phase of cooperation in autonomous driving.
Officials from relevant Hainan provincial authorities and the Chinese Embassy in Oman attended the ceremony. Earlier that day, Maple Leaf founder and Chairman Liang Yi joined His Excellency Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and executives from Oman Airports for a test ride in a Maple Leaf autonomous shuttle at Salalah International Airport, completing all on-site validation procedures. Led by Maple Leaf and jointly organized by MTCIT and Oman Airports, the test represents an important official step in Oman's deployment of smart and sustainable mobility technologies and a milestone for the operation of Chinese autonomous driving technology in the country. Future Fund Oman under the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and Temple Water Capital are also accelerating Maple Leaf's Series B financing round, worth tens of millions of US dollars.
The cooperation demonstrates how Hainan Free Trade Port technology companies can leverage local advantages to expand internationally. Maple Leaf previously received strategic investment from Chengmai, Hainan, and key policy support from Haikou, using Hainan as a base to expand its new energy vehicle and technology businesses overseas. At the Salalah Airport test site, officials from various Omani authorities experienced the vehicle firsthand. The test covered key functions including sensing and real-time monitoring, route recognition, environmental perception, and obstacle handling, comprehensively assessing the vehicle's ability to operate safely and intelligently under real-world conditions using autonomous driving technology. After confirming the vehicle's stable operation and efficient dispatching, His Excellency Al Maawali praised Maple Leaf's technical capabilities and rapid deployment, describing it as "China speed." From domestic trials and vehicle commissioning to airfreighting the vehicle to Muscat and quickly launching on-site tests, Maple Leaf's execution efficiency earned strong recognition from the Omani side and led to a clear path for deeper cooperation.
His Excellency Al Maawali stated on site that Oman would fully support Maple Leaf's participation in smart city, airport electrification, and energy transition projects. He set a specific target for the company to establish last-mile passenger and logistics networks across Muscat and Salalah within one year. MTCIT has also set an official timetable requiring Maple Leaf to begin commercial operations of autonomous vehicles in the third quarter of 2027. Under the plan, Maple Leaf will deploy 30,000 to 50,000 autonomous shuttles and driverless logistics vehicles across Oman over the next five years. The broader cooperation is expected to help Oman become the first of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries to achieve transport electrification, commercial deployment of autonomous driving, and energy transition. The plan aims to position Oman as a regional benchmark for transport transformation in the Middle East, support the implementation of Oman Vision 2040, and align with the country's 2050 net-zero target and the goals of the Sustainable Dhofar initiative.
Following the tests, Maple Leaf Chairman Liang Yi said that with investment from OIA, Oman's sovereign investment fund, and Temple Water Capital accelerating, together with progress toward commercial operating licenses, Maple Leaf will use Oman as a regional hub to bring China's successful autonomous driving experience to the wider Middle East and establish a proven model for smart mobility.
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