WeRide and Uber have launched driverless robotaxi service in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the autonomous vehicle (AV) tech player worked with super app Grab to bring AV taxis and shuttles to Punggol, Singapore.
In Dubai, fully driverless service is now available to riders who select “Autononous” in the Uber app, with initial operations focused on the coastal districts of Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah and plans to expand across additional areas. The public rollout follows a trial period in which on-board vehicle specialists were present.
The launch is part of a broader effort by WeRide and Uber to scale robotaxi deployments across the Middle East, including plans to introduce at least 1,200 vehicles across Dubai and Abu Dhabi in UAE and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WeRide currently has over 200 robotaxis in the region.
In Singapore, WeRide partnered with Grab to launch an autonomous public ride service in the Punggol district, following a trial that included more than 1,000 riders and 30,000 kilometers of autonomous driving.
The Autonomously Intelligent Ride (Ai.R) service operates on fixed routes connecting residential areas with transport nodes and local amenities. Rides are currently free, with safety operators on board as the companies prepare for commercial service expected later this year. In a subsequent phase, operators will transition to remote monitoring from a centralized operations center.
WeRide’s GXR vehicles also operate as taxis in China and Saudi Arabia, according to the company. It has previously received autonomous driving permits in France, Switzerland, Belgium and the U.S.
Uber’s Dubai launch builds on a series of recent moves to expand its autonomous vehicle footprint. The company in October partnered with WeRide to launch robotaxis in Saudi Arabia and in March announced partnerships with Verne and Pony.ai to initiate service in Europe. Uber is also working with companies including Rivian, Nvidia, Zoox, Waabi, Nuro, Lucid and Baidu as it scales AV activity across multiple markets.
Uber has said it intends to become a major facilitator of autonomous vehicle trips globally and has described AVs as a “multitrillion-dollar opportunity.”