A year after WeRide launched its commercial robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, the company and its partner Uber have finally taken the bold step of removing human safety drivers completely. The service now runs fully driverless and is open to the public, starting with routes on Yas Island, the scenic tourist hub that hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 circuit.
The new phase of operations mirrors how Uber works with Waymo in Austin. When riders in Abu Dhabi request Uber Comfort or UberX, the app may match them with a WeRide robotaxi. Anyone who wants a higher chance of riding in a fully autonomous vehicle can simply tap the “Autonomous” option. WeRide and Uber are also collaborating with fleet operator Tawasul to support smooth operations.
This upgrade comes one month after WeRide secured a federal permit from the UAE to run fully driverless commercial robotaxi services. With approval now in the bag, both companies plan to expand beyond Yas Island and roll into Abu Dhabi’s city center. Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, described the launch as a historic moment, noting that Abu Dhabi now hosts the first fully driverless autonomous vehicle deployment outside China or the United States.
Uber has been on a global partnership spree for the past two years, signing deals with 20 autonomous vehicle companies across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. These collaborations stretch far beyond robotaxi services. Uber has secured partnerships for delivery, autonomous trucking, and premium self-driving experiences. In 2024 alone, the company announced deals with May Mobility in Michigan, Volkswagen, and Chinese AV firms like Momenta, Pony.ai, and Baidu. It also recently teamed up with Lucid and Nuro to develop a premium robotaxi service using the Lucid Gravity SUV equipped with Nuro’s autonomous system.
These partnerships are finally becoming real-world products. Earlier this year, Uber and Waymo launched a commercial robotaxi service in Austin. Now Uber is expanding into the Middle East with WeRide’s fully driverless service in Abu Dhabi, with plans to launch in Dubai and more cities soon.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi projected in the company’s third-quarter earnings that autonomous vehicles would operate on the Uber network in at least 10 cities by the end of 2026. WeRide and Uber have already disclosed plans to roll out robotaxi services in 15 cities across the Middle East and Europe. If they achieve that scale, WeRide’s current fleet of about 150 robotaxis in the region would multiply into thousands, marking one of the largest expansions of autonomous mobility the region has ever seen.
