Etihad partners with ROX to take travel storytelling from the skies to African roads
Abu Dhabi companies eye wider possibilities across intelligent mobility and travel
ABU DHABI – Etihad Airways and international AI technology company ROX have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential collaboration across travel, mobility and destination experiences.
The initial focus will be on ROX’s Africa Grand Tour S2, a long-distance overland journey spanning diverse destinations across the continent. The partnership could bring together Etihad’s air connectivity and ROX’s ground mobility technology through branded content and storytelling.
Africa grand tour
Under the MoU, the Etihad brand will feature on the ROX ADAMAS vehicle used for the Africa Grand Tour S2. The two companies will also explore mutually agreed co-branded content, storytelling and marketing activities linked to the initiative.
The Africa Grand Tour S2 is designed to showcase the ROX ADAMAS across a range of African destinations and driving environments. The overland journey focuses on mobility, exploration and travel, creating opportunities to tell stories around the experience of moving between destinations by road.
For Etihad, the initiative provides a potential platform to connect its international air network with ground mobility and destination experiences. The companies will assess opportunities to combine air travel, mobility and travel storytelling as part of their collaboration.
Wider opportunities
The MoU was signed during the opening of ROX’s Advanced AI Manufacturing Centre in Abu Dhabi. While the Africa Grand Tour S2 represents the initial area of focus, the agreement also establishes a framework for both companies to consider other areas of mutual interest.
These include mobility, future travel experiences, lifestyle innovation, technology and destination-based mobility. Both companies are headquartered in Abu Dhabi and said their respective capabilities and brands could complement each other across these areas.
Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said the Africa Grand Tour brings together travel, mobility, destinations and storytelling, providing an opportunity for both brands to assess potential areas of collaboration.
ROX Chief Executive Officer Yan Feng said the company was founded around intelligent mobility solutions connecting people, technology and destinations, describing the Africa Grand Tour as a starting point for exploring broader possibilities across mobility, travel and lifestyle.
The partnership comes as ROX develops its presence in intelligent mobility, while Etihad continues to connect Abu Dhabi with an expanding global network. The two companies will now explore how their respective platforms could create further travel and destination-focused experiences.