Uber and WeRide launch in Abu Dhabi

 

Uber and WeRide launch in Abu Dhabi

The UAE The first driverless robotaxi service outside of the US and China

A year after launching their commercial robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, the Chinese technology company WeRide and its global partner Uber have officially announced the service's transition to fully autonomous driving, eliminating the need for a backup driver behind the wheel.

The two companies explained that the service is now available to the public and will begin operating on the roads of Yas Island, the prominent tourist destination that houses the Formula 1 race track. The service will operate similarly to Uber's Waymo experience in Austin, Texas, according to a report published by TechCrunch.

Starting now, Uber users in Abu Dhabi can hail a WeRide robotaxi when requesting an UberX or UberComfort ride. To further increase the likelihood of receiving a fully autonomous vehicle, Uber offers an "Autonomous" option within the app. These operations are being carried out in partnership with Tawassul, the company that operates the fleet of vehicles.

This launch follows WeRide's receipt last month of a federal permit from the UAE allowing it to operate fully autonomous vehicles for commercial purposes. The two companies plan to expand the service to additional areas in downtown Abu Dhabi in the near future.

Sarfraz Maridya, Uber's Head of Self-Driving and Delivery, said that the launch of fully autonomous service in Abu Dhabi is a historic milestone, marking the first such experience outside the United States and China.

Over the past two years, Uber has partnered with more than 20 autonomous technology companies worldwide, from America and Europe to the Middle East. These partnerships extend beyond robotaxi to include delivery and shipping services.

This year alone, the company has signed agreements with May Mobility and Volkswagen, as well as Chinese companies like Momenta, Pony.ai, and Baidu, in addition to a new collaboration to launch a luxury robotaxi service using Nuro's Lucid Gravity autonomous vehicles.

The results of these partnerships are already being seen. Uber and Waymo launched a robotaxi service in Austin, and now it's expanding to the Middle East through a partnership with WeRide in Abu Dhabi, with plans to expand to additional cities, including Dubai.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had predicted in the company's third-quarter earnings report that at least 10 cities would have self-driving vehicles on the Uber network by the end of 2026.

This forecast aligns with Uber and WeRide's plans to expand to 15 cities across the Middle East and Europe, increasing their robotaxi fleet to thousands of vehicles, compared to approximately 150 currently operating in the region.