- WeRide’s first robotaxis will start commercial operations with safety officers and fully driverless testing in Dubai this year, with fully driverless commercial operations set to start in the first quarter of 2026.
- WeRide is accelerating its expansion in international markets, with the Middle East region as a strategic priority.
Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) is bringing its robotaxi services to Dubai, following the launch of fully driverless robotaxi pilot operations in Abu Dhabi a month ago.
WeRide today signed a cooperation agreement with Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), according to a statement released by the company today.
The three parties will collaborate to deploy commercial robotaxi services in Dubai, which will be launched on the Uber platform by the end of this year.
The first batch of robotaxis will undergo commercial operations with safety officers and pure autonomous testing by the end of this year, and achieve fully autonomous commercial operations by the first quarter of 2026.
WeRide and Uber have already commenced robotaxi road tests in Dubai under the guidance of the RTA, according to the statement.
WeRide is accelerating its expansion in international markets, with the Middle East region being a strategic focus, said Jennifer Li, WeRide’s CFO and head of international business.
The latest collaboration aligns with the Dubai government’s vision to make 25 percent of all transportation trips autonomous by 2030, Li said.
Founded in 2017, WeRide is one of China’s earliest companies specializing in advanced smart driving solutions. On October 25, the company went public on the Nasdaq.
It has conducted autonomous driving research, testing, and operations in 30 cities across 10 countries worldwide.
In July 2023, WeRide obtained the first autonomous driving test license in the United Arab Emirates, allowing it to conduct tests of autonomous vehicles on public roads nationwide, according to the company.
Last September, WeRide partnered with Uber to advance the use of its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform, with operations set to launch first in the UAE.
Prior to partnering with Uber, WeRide operated the largest robotaxi fleet in the UAE.
In December last year, WeRide announced the launch of robotaxi services on Uber’s platform in the UAE.
On May 6, WeRide announced an expanded partnership with Uber, with robotaxi services set to expand to 15 new cities, including locations in Europe and the Middle East.
On May 16, WeRide announced the start of fully autonomous robotaxi pilot operations in Abu Dhabi, establishing the first purely autonomous robotaxi fleet in the Middle East.
