News Summary

Uber, in partnership with Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company WeRide, has launched a fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first driverless autonomous vehicle deployment outside the United States and China. The service, initially launched with safety drivers in December 2024, is now completely driverless and available to the public. It will start with routes on Yas Island and plans to expand to other areas of Abu Dhabi. Uber and WeRide have received a federal permit from the UAE to conduct these operations and are working with fleet operator Tawasul. The companies have also announced plans to expand their robotaxi services to 15 additional cities across the Middle East and Europe over the next five years.