Formula 1 and MIT team up to create sustainable mobility for UAE events

​FIA and MIT Senseable City Lab team up to improve mobility for major UAE events.The project aims to reduce the carbon impact of events like the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Improved access and traffic management are key goals.

The Middle East’s inaugural MIT Senseable City Lab in Dubai and the governing body of Formula 1 have teamed up to explore innovative sustainable mobility options for significant events in the United Arab Emirates.

In order to lessen the carbon impact of events in the nation, the Senseable Dubai Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) will collaborate to investigate better sustainable transportation patterns.

“We are delighted to support this exciting new research project, in collaboration with MIT Senseable City Lab,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of FIA, the governing body for world motorsport, including Formula One.

Major events have a substantial impact on the cities in which they are held, including traffic disruptions, difficulties for public transit, congestion, and an increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases and other particulates and pollutants. These effects are offset by the good effects that major events have on tourism and the local economy. It is now difficult to find better mobility alternatives to attend these events.

Researchers working on the project will collect data as part of the MIT Senseable Dubai Lab, a collaborative venture between MIT Senseable Lab and the Dubai Future Foundation, to create a picture of city-wide mobility patterns around significant UAE events, such as the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

With greater access to these events and suggestions for traffic management and public transportation, this data may help local mobility planning become more efficient and reduce carbon emissions and congestion.

“This comes at a moment of enormous growth for the UAE, and we look forward to joining forces with our stakeholders to make major events eco-friendlier, efficient, and enjoyable for attendees through enhanced mobility solutions,” Ben Sulayem underlined.

For the purpose of gathering data and preparing for future deployment, the FIA and MIT will collaborate with pertinent parties such as the Yas Marina Circuit, local governments, and the administration of Formula One.

Umberto Fugiglando, research manager and partnerships lead at MIT Senseable City Lab, noted: “We are proud to welcome the FIA to join our MIT Senseable Dubai Lab, where together with their stakeholders, they will support our research on urban sustainable mobility in the UAE.”

In order to improve sustainability results surrounding mobility internationally, the FIA and MIT will eventually share their findings and lessons gained with other cities, event organizers, and FIA members.

“In a region where cities are evolving very fast, we have the possibility to study urban mobility at large, and scientifically explore and anticipate future paradigms that need to be more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable,” Fugiglando added.

The project was introduced during the Dubai Future Forum 2023 and is being pushed at the current COP28 as a part of the FIA’s mission to enhance sustainable transportation and lessen motorsport’s negative environmental effects.