Riyadh's first trial of delivery by self-driving vehicles has been launched by the Transport General Authority (TGA), part of its push to adopt new technologies and innovative solutions in transport and logistics.

The vehicles operate in a defined zone beginning in Al-Falah district. An order is placed online, loaded onto a vehicle and then delivered to the customer without a driver.

They use Level 4 autonomous driving technology with 360-degree sensors, live monitoring from a remote operations centre and the ability to stop instantly in an emergency.

The TGA aims to lower delivery costs by up to 85% using an electric fleet that emits no carbon while running and reduces noise on the streets.