Etihad Airways. Photo: kamilpetran / Shutterstock.com Etihad Airways and international AI technology company ROX are exploring a new partnership that could bring air travel, intelligent mobility and destination experiences together across Africa.
The UAE national airline and ROX have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, with their initial collaboration focused on ROX’s Africa Grand Tour S2. As part of the agreement, the Etihad brand will appear on the vehicle taking part in the long-distance journey, while the companies plan to develop co-branded content, storytelling and marketing activities around the project.
The Africa Grand Tour S2 features the ROX ADAMAS on an overland journey through Africa. The expedition is designed to demonstrate the vehicle across different destinations and driving conditions while producing stories focused on exploration, mobility and travel.
The project gives Etihad an opportunity to look beyond the flight itself and explore how air travel could connect with ground transportation and destination experiences. Both companies see the initiative as a starting point for considering broader opportunities rather than a commitment to specific future products or services.
The MoU was signed in Abu Dhabi during the opening of ROX’s Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre. Both companies are headquartered in the UAE capital, creating a local connection for a partnership that could eventually extend into areas including future travel experiences, intelligent mobility, technology, lifestyle innovation and destination-based transportation.
Etihad Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves explained that the said Africa Grand Tour offers an interesting starting point since it mixes travel, destinations, mobility and storytelling.
He added that Etihad is interested in ideas that can enhance how people experience the destinations they visit.
ROX Chief Executive Officer Yan Feng said the company was founded around intelligent mobility solutions designed to connect people, technology and destinations. He described the Africa Grand Tour as an opportunity to explore wider possibilities involving travel and lifestyle.
The partnership comes as both companies look at how technology and mobility could influence the way people travel and experience destinations. While the Africa Grand Tour S2 is the immediate focus, the agreement provides a framework for further discussions between the two Abu Dhabi-based companies.
For now, the collaboration remains exploratory. The Africa Grand Tour will provide the first visible expression of the partnership, with Etihad branding and joint storytelling expected to feature around.