Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle technology firm WeRide have officially launched fully driverless robotaxi services in Abu Dhabi, a year after their initial commercial rollout. This significant development removes the human safety operator from behind the wheel, making it the first such deployment outside of the United States and China.
The commercial robotaxi service is now accessible to the public, initially operating on Yas Island, a prominent tourist destination known for hosting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 racing circuit. Riders in Abu Dhabi can access these autonomous vehicles by selecting Uber Comfort or UberX, or by specifically choosing the "Autonomous" option within the Uber app to increase their chances of being matched with a WeRide robotaxi. The partnership also involves local fleet operator Tawasul.
This milestone follows WeRide securing a federal permit from the United Arab Emirates to conduct fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations. Both Uber and WeRide have ambitious plans to expand these driverless services beyond Yas Island, aiming to cover additional areas within Abu Dhabi's city center and eventually extend to 15 cities across the Middle East and Europe, scaling to thousands of robotaxis.
"Today's fully autonomous launch in Abu Dhabi represents a historic transportation milestone, as the first driverless AV deployment outside of the U.S. or China," stated Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's head of autonomous mobility and delivery.
The Abu Dhabi launch is part of Uber's broader strategy to integrate autonomous vehicle technology into its global network. Over the past two years, Uber has forged partnerships with 20 autonomous vehicle technology companies across various regions, including the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. These collaborations span a wide range of self-driving applications, from robotaxis to delivery and trucking services.
Recent partnerships include deals with Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility, Volkswagen, and Chinese self-driving firms such as Momenta, Pony.ai, and Baidu. Additionally, Uber recently announced a deal to launch a premium robotaxi service in San Francisco, utilizing Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro's self-driving system.
These strategic alliances are now materializing into commercial services. Earlier this year, Uber and Waymo launched a robotaxi service in Austin, and with WeRide in Abu Dhabi, Uber is rapidly expanding its autonomous footprint in the Middle East, with Dubai also on the horizon. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has previously projected autonomous vehicle deployments on the Uber network in at least 10 cities by the end of 2026, underscoring the company's commitment to leading the future of autonomous mobility.
