Uber, WeRide launch Middle East's first fully driverless Robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Nov. 26, WeRide and Uber officially announced the launch of fully driverless Robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi, marking the first commercial deployment of Level-4 autonomous ride-hailing services in the Middle East, according to a post on WeRide's WeChat account.

The rollout makes Abu Dhabi the first city outside the United States where Uber has activated a completely driverless service, supported by what is described as the world's first city-level license for fully unmanned robotaxi operations issued outside the U.S.

The milestone underscores the UAE's accelerating push to deploy autonomous mobility at scale, made possible through long-running collaboration among WeRide, Uber, the Abu Dhabi Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), and local fleet operator Tawasul.

Public service begins immediately on Yas Island, where the robotaxis are operating without safety drivers onboard. Riders can be matched with a WeRide vehicle through UberX or Uber Comfort, or summon one directly via a new "Autonomous" category—the first dedicated self-driving option Uber has ever introduced worldwide.

WeRide secured a federal license in the UAE in October 2025 authorizing fully driverless commercial robotaxi operations. The Integrated Transport Center (ITC) later issued Abu Dhabi's first unmanned robotaxi commercial permit to WeRide and Tawasul, enabling the two companies to jointly operate the service through the Uber platform during the initial phase.

With the new licenses, commercial operations, and rising vehicle-use efficiency, WeRide and Uber expect their Abu Dhabi robotaxi fleet to reach per-vehicle breakeven in the near term.

The deployment also sets the stage for an aggressive expansion across the Middle East. WeRide and Uber plan to scale their joint autonomous vehicle fleet to several thousand vehicles over the next few years, with ambitions to reach tens of thousands by 2030.

WeRide holds a four-year head start in Abu Dhabi's autonomous driving market, having begun public robotaxi operations there in 2021. In 2023, it became the first technology company in the UAE to obtain a national-level autonomous driving license covering all vehicle types, permitting testing and operations on public roads across the federation.

The two companies first launched their robotaxi collaboration in Abu Dhabi in December 2024, creating the largest commercial autonomous ride-hailing service outside China and the United States. Their partnership expanded in July 2025 to cover nearly half of Abu Dhabi's core urban areas, including Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands. By the end of 2025, WeRide and Uber aim to bring the service to even more of the city. WeRide currently operates around 150 autonomous vehicles across the Middle East.