One year after introducing a commercial robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide and its partner Uber can now officially describe the service as driverless.
The companies announced that their commercial robotaxi service, now operating without a human safety driver, is available to the public and will initially serve routes on Yas Island, a popular tourist area that hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 track.
Image Credits:Uber/WeRide
The robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi will function in a manner similar to Uber’s collaboration with Waymo in Austin.
In Abu Dhabi, Uber users who choose Uber Comfort or UberX may be paired with a WeRide robotaxi. Those wishing to boost their chances of riding in a fully autonomous vehicle can select the “Autonomous” option within the Uber app. Uber and WeRide are also collaborating with fleet operator Tawasul.
This rollout follows WeRide’s recent approval from the United Arab Emirates to operate fully driverless commercial robotaxi services. Uber and WeRide intend to broaden the driverless offering to more locations within Abu Dhabi’s downtown area.
“Launching fully autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi today marks a significant milestone in transportation, as it is the first deployment of driverless AVs outside the U.S. or China,” stated Sarfraz Maredia, who leads autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber.
Over the last two years, Uber has formed partnerships with 20 autonomous vehicle technology firms across regions such as the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
These collaborations now extend beyond just robotaxis. Uber’s agreements cover a wide spectrum of autonomous vehicle uses, including delivery and freight. This year, Uber revealed partnerships with May Mobility from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Volkswagen, Chinese companies Momenta, Pony.ai, and Baidu, and most recently, a deal to launch a premium robotaxi service using Lucid Gravity SUVs outfitted with Nuro’s self-driving technology from San Francisco.
These partnerships are now starting to result in real-world commercial offerings. Earlier this year, Uber and Waymo began a robotaxi service in Austin. Now, Uber is expanding its reach in the Middle East through its collaboration with WeRide in Abu Dhabi, with plans to enter more cities such as Dubai.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi predicted in the company’s third-quarter financial update that autonomous vehicles would be operating on the Uber platform in at least 10 cities by the close of 2026.
Uber and WeRide have previously outlined ambitions to expand into 15 cities across the Middle East and Europe, aiming to eventually deploy thousands of robotaxis. This would be a significant expansion for WeRide, which currently operates over 150 robotaxis in the area.
