Uber and WeRide’s robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi is officially driverless

In a groundbreaking development for autonomous transportation, WeRide, a Chinese company specializing in autonomous vehicle technology, has partnered with Uber to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi. This milestone comes a year after their initial commercial robotaxi service began, marking a significant advancement as human safety operators will no longer be present behind the wheel. The driverless robotaxi service is now accessible to the public, operating primarily in Yas Island, a popular tourist area known for hosting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 circuit. Similar to Uber's collaboration with Waymo in Austin, passengers selecting Uber Comfort or UberX in Abu Dhabi may find themselves matched with a WeRide robotaxi. For those eager to increase their chances of riding in a fully autonomous vehicle, an “Autonomous” option is available in the Uber app. WeRide's recent authorization from the United Arab Emirates government for fully driverless operations further bolsters this launch. Together with fleet operator partner Tawasul, WeRide and Uber plan to extend their services to cover additional routes in Abu Dhabi's city center in the near future. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, highlighted the significance of this launch, stating it represents a historic moment as the first deployment of driverless autonomous vehicles outside the United States and China. Over the past two years, Uber has formed partnerships with around 20 autonomous vehicle technology firms across various regions, including North America, Europe, and the Middle East. These collaborations have paved the way for a variety of self-driving applications, expanding beyond robotaxis to include delivery services and trucking. Recently, Uber announced new partnerships with companies such as May Mobility and Volkswagen, along with agreements with Chinese self-driving firms like Momenta and Pony.ai. This year has seen the realization of these partnerships into tangible services, exemplified by the launch of a robotaxi service in Austin with Waymo. With the introduction of this service in Abu Dhabi, Uber aims to broaden its reach in the Middle East, with plans for additional cities, including Dubai, on the horizon. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has projected that by the end of 2026, autonomous vehicles will be deployed across at least 10 cities on the Uber network. Moreover, Uber and WeRide have expressed ambitions to expand their services to 15 cities throughout the Middle East and Europe, potentially scaling up to thousands of robotaxis, a significant leap for WeRide, which currently operates more than 150 robotaxis in the region.