Uber Technologies Inc. has begun offering fully driverless rides in partnership with WeRide Inc. on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, marking a significant expansion of autonomous mobility in the Middle East. The companies launched their initial pilot with safety operators in late 2024. Now, a year later, select UberX and Uber Comfort riders can be matched with a completely driverless vehicle across a 12–square-mile area.

Riders can also choose a new “Autonomous” option in the Uber app, which increases the likelihood of receiving a robotaxi and is priced similarly to Uber Comfort. Trips beyond Yas Island, including routes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and other surrounding islands, will continue to operate with a safety operator for the time being. This broader semi-autonomous service covers approximately 30 square miles.

Uber and WeRide plan further expansion within Abu Dhabi and intend to bring driverless operations to Dubai in the near future. Their partnership extends well beyond the UAE. Earlier this year, the companies agreed to launch in 15 additional cities worldwide, including Riyadh, where service with safety operators has already started. In the United States, Uber currently offers driverless rides through an existing partnership with Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo in Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta.

Since selling its in-house autonomous division in 2020, Uber has shifted toward establishing itself as a global platform for autonomous mobility, investing heavily in technology partners such as WeRide and forging more than 20 partnerships focused on AV deployment. The company said that dozens of Uber-managed WeRide vehicles are currently operating in Abu Dhabi and that the fleet will expand with rising demand.

WeRide, whose shares trade in both the US and Hong Kong, recently reported a third-quarter net loss of 307 million yuan ($43 million), an improvement from a 1.04-billion-yuan loss a year earlier. The company now holds autonomous driving permits in eight countries as it accelerates international growth.

For the UAE, the launch of fully driverless rides on Yas Island reinforces the country’s ambition to become a leading global hub for smart mobility. With further expansion planned across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the region is positioning itself at the forefront of the autonomous transportation industry.