The pods will allow quick and easy link for the visitors to get in and out of the historic site in Saudi Arabia.

The historic ancient site of AlUla in Saudi Arabia has been a significant tourist attraction for years. As the UNESCO World Heritage Site brings thousands of tourists every year, the Royal Commission for AlUla has introduced autonomous electric smart pods.

The pods will allow quick and easy links for the visitors to get in and out of the historic site in Saudi Arabia.

The RCU’s far-reaching ‘Journey Through Time (JTT)’ master plan aims to develop a range of fully integrated, accessible, and environmentally friendly public transport options for those who make the trip to the site in Saudi Arabia’s Madinah region.

Electrically powered, the car can hold about 22 passengers (8 seated and 14 standing), and passengers can ride the pod free of charge along a circular route and each leg takes just three minutes to cover 1km.

The safe, environmentally friendly, and comfortable, the autonomous pod offers, the scheme is the first step towards providing the AlUla community with a clean and safe mobility solution.

While this one remains a pilot project, the service will be expanded to other areas of AlUla, including Dadan, Hegra and AlJadidah later in the year.

The pilot will allow RCU and engineers from the pod’s manufacturer to carefully monitor energy consumption, connectivity, and practicality before rolling out the autonomous service across specially chosen sites in AlUla.