On November 10, Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide announced that it has officially received approval from the UAE federal government to launch fully driverless Robotaxi commercial operations in Abu Dhabi.

This marks the first city-level commercial license for Level 4 autonomous driving outside the United States, representing a new stage for WeRide’s Robotaxi services in the Middle East, according to WeRide.

Photo credit: WeRide

Under the license granted on October 31, WeRide is authorized to operate Robotaxi services without on-board safety operators. The service will first be available through the Uber and TXAI platforms in Abu Dhabi, with additional operational details to be announced soon.

This special approval was issued by the Regulations Lab under the UAE Cabinet Secretariat, an authority tasked with evaluating innovative projects that drive future economic development. As early as July 2023, WeRide received the UAE’s first autonomous driving road testing license, permitting nationwide public road testing and operations across all vehicle types, provided that regulatory requirements in each emirate are met.

Since 2021, WeRide has partnered with TXAI to conduct public Robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi. In December 2024, WeRide and Uber launched a Robotaxi ride-hailing partnership in Abu Dhabi, forming the largest commercial Robotaxi fleet outside China and the United States. In July 2025, the service area expanded to nearly half of Abu Dhabi’s core urban districts, including Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island. By the end of 2025, operations will extend to most of Abu Dhabi’s central zones, including Khalifa City, Masdar City, and downtown Abu Dhabi.

As of October 2025, WeRide’s Robotaxi fleet in Abu Dhabi had accumulated nearly one million kilometers of road mileage. With the latest authorization allowing the removal of in-vehicle safety operators, WeRide’s Robotaxi services in Abu Dhabi are expected to achieve per-vehicle operational break-even.

Since the second quarter of 2025, WeRide has been conducting fully driverless Robotaxi testing in Abu Dhabi to validate system reliability in preparation for commercial deployment. Throughout the process, WeRide has worked closely with the Abu Dhabi Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), successfully completing stringent safety and regulatory assessments.

The company plans to expand its regional Robotaxi fleet to 1,000 vehicles by 2026 and to several tens of thousands by 2030.

Via: [GasGoo]