Uber’s ambitions in autonomous mobility reached a new milestone this week as the company confirmed that customers in Abu Dhabi can now be matched with fully driverless robotaxis. The rollout, developed in partnership with Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide, marks the first time Uber has offered a driverless service in the United Arab Emirates without a human safety driver behind the wheel.
The deployment begins within the twelve square miles of Yas Island, one of Abu Dhabi’s busiest leisure districts. Passengers requesting UberX or Uber Comfort may be assigned a WeRide GXR vehicle if their destination falls within the designated driverless zone. Riders who want a higher chance of getting one can select the “Autonomous” option inside the Uber app.
Uber and WeRide first introduced their joint pilot in December 2024 using vehicles monitored by safety drivers, with both companies stating that a fully autonomous phase would follow. That shift has now begun. The WeRide GXR, built on Geely’s Farizon SuperVan platform, carries over twenty sensors and cameras, seats up to five passengers, and has already been deployed as a robotaxi in Beijing.
