DP World has joined Shifft, a joint venture between Dubai Future Foundation and UK-based autonomous driving technology company Oxa, as its first strategic partner to accelerate the deployment of autonomous logistics across ports and terminals, beginning at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai.
The partnership marks a significant step towards moving autonomous logistics from experimental trials to commercially viable operations, with the potential to transform cargo movement and operational efficiency across global port networks.
DP World operates more than 900 vehicles at Jebel Ali Port, the world’s largest man-made harbour and the Middle East’s busiest seaport. The initial deployment will focus on autonomous vehicle operations supporting inter-terminal container movements and cargo transfers between quay cranes, yard stacks and terminal gates.
The initiative could eventually be extended across DP World’s global network of 60 ports and terminals in more than 80 countries, where thousands of vehicles are involved in cargo and logistics operations.
Under the partnership, Shifft will work on autonomous driving capabilities, vehicle integration, safety and assurance frameworks, fleet and traffic management, routing and operations in mixed-use environments. Digital twin technology, situational intelligence and operational performance optimisation will also form part of the programme.
The autonomous systems will utilise Oxa’s integrated technology platform, comprising Oxa Ware, modular autonomous hardware designed to be fitted to existing vehicle fleets; Oxa Driver, its self-driving software; and Oxa Hub, a cloud-based fleet management and orchestration platform.
Rebecca Marsden, Senior Vice President of Commercial and Strategic Partnerships at Oxa, said the partnership would transition autonomous logistics from experimental testing to practical, commercially viable execution. She added that the initiative would help establish more predictable and resilient supply chains while setting new operational benchmarks for ports globally.
Ibrahim Al Najjar, Senior Vice President of Information Technology at DP World GCC, said autonomous technology would help deliver more predictable and resilient supply chains for the company’s customers and partners.
The partnership also supports Dubai’s ambition to become a global hub for industrial autonomy and advance its strategic target of doubling foreign trade volumes by 2033.
While specific rollout schedules for the initial phase at Jebel Ali have not been disclosed, Shifft is targeting its first scalable commercial deployment in Dubai by the end of 2027. The joint venture has indicated that the first autonomous vehicles are already on their way.
The agreement represents an important commercial milestone for Oxa, which raised $103 million in the first close of its Series D funding round earlier this year to accelerate the deployment of its industrial autonomous mobility technology.
By combining DP World’s extensive port operations expertise with Oxa’s autonomous technology and Dubai Future Foundation’s strategic backing, Shifft aims to establish a scalable model for autonomous logistics that could eventually be adopted across international port and terminal networks.