Gasgoo Munich- On Feb. 12, WeRide and Uber officially launched the first commercial Robotaxi service in downtown Abu Dhabi, marking the first deployment of autonomous vehicles in the city center.
Image Credit: WeRide
WeRide has been operating public Robotaxi services in Abu Dhabi since 2021. In 2023, the company became the first technology firm in the UAE to secure a national-level autonomous driving license covering all vehicle types, permitting testing and operations on public roads nationwide pending local emirate approvals. By December 2024, WeRide and Uber had rolled out their joint service in Abu Dhabi, establishing it as one of the largest commercial Robotaxi operations outside the U.S. and China.
By July 2025, the WeRide-Uber service had expanded to cover nearly half of Abu Dhabi’s core areas. The network now includes Al Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, Yas Island, and Saadiyat Island, along with highway routes connecting to and from Zayed International Airport.
This latest expansion extends operations to Khalifa City, Masdar City, and Labdan, as well as the stretch from the Corniche to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The route links key landmarks like the Grand Mosque with popular hotels along the Corniche. With this growth, the WeRide-Uber Robotaxi network now covers roughly 70% of Abu Dhabi’s central districts.
Starting immediately, passengers in these zones can hail a WeRide GXR via Uber Comfort or Uber X, or select the dedicated "Autonomous" category in the app. The commercial service is now live in downtown Abu Dhabi, though vehicles currently carry one safety operator; a phased transition to fully driverless operations is planned. Tawasul Transport, a local logistics firm, manages the WeRide fleet on the Uber platform.
To date, WeRide has deployed more than 200 Robotaxis across the Middle East. According to a roadmap released in early February 2026, the partners plan to deploy at least 1,200 vehicles in the region by 2027, expanding coverage to three major cities: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh.
