Uber’s robotaxi service in UAE now includes fully driverless vehicles

Uber and WeRide are now deploying fully driverless vehicles as part of its robotaxi service in the United Arab Emarites. Customers in Abu Dhabi who request an UberX or Uber Comfort may be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide vehicle if the route is part of the company’s service area.

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide first launched their robotaxi service with safety drivers back in December 2024. At the time, the companies they anticipated pulling safety drivers out of the vehicles the following year.

Initially, the fully autonomous vehicles will only be available in select locations throughout the 12 square miles of Yas Island, a popular tourist destination in Abu Dhabi. Uber and WeRide say they will expand its fully driverless territory in the future. Customers interested in riding in a driverless car can select the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app for a better chance of being matched.

The vehicles are WeRide’s GXR equipped with over 20 sensors and cameras, and can seat up to five passengers. The GXR is based on Geely’s Farizon SuperVan, which is also being used as a WeRide robotaxi in Beijing. Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in the US, the ridehailing company oversees fleet operations for WeRide’s robotaxis in collaboration with taxi operator Tawasul Transport. This includes vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot management. WeRide remains responsible for vehicle testing and sensor calibration.

In addition to its service in the UAE, Uber and WeRide have said they plan on launching in an additional 15 cities over the next five years, including some cities in Europe. Uber has been on an absolute streak of partnering with new AV companies over the past few years as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for robot cars and robot delivery of any brand (except Tesla, for now).