Uber rolls out driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi

Uber connected Wednesday rolled retired afloat driverless rides successful its 4th market, launching the work successful Abu Dhabi successful concern WeRide, a Chinese autonomous conveyance company.

The ride-hailing institution said the motorboat successful the United Arab Emirates superior represents the first driverless robotaxi work successful the Middle East. In the U.S., Uber already offers robotaxi services successful Austin, Phoenix and Atlanta done Alphabet's Waymo.

Riders successful Abu Dhabi tin publication a WeRide robotaxi erstwhile requesting an UberX oregon Uber Comfort ride, the ride-hailing institution said.

WeRide, which is listed connected the Nasdaq, formed its partnership with Uber successful September 2024 and began offering autonomous rides with an relation connected committee successful Abu Dhabi past December. Uber and WeRide besides debuted robotaxi rides with a information relation connected committee successful Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, successful October. Uber has said it plans to rotation retired the WeRide work to 15 much cities, including successful Europe, implicit the adjacent 5 years.

In caller years, Uber has stake large connected autonomous conveyance exertion done partnerships.

Uber started offering a robotaxi work successful Austin and Atlanta earlier this year, and successful Phoenix successful late 2023. In July, the institution landed a six-year robotaxi deal with electrical conveyance shaper Lucid and AV startup Nuro.

WeRide, meanwhile, has launched afloat driverless robotaxi services successful China's Beijing and Guangzhou, according to its website.

Uber has not said however it splits gross from robotaxi rides with its partners.

Competitors person besides readily adopted the technology, with Lyft announcing a deal with Waymo successful September to motorboat robotaxis successful Nashville adjacent year.

Uber said the driverless vehicles successful Abu Dhabi volition run successful definite areas of Yas Island. Riders tin boost their accidental of a robotaxi thrust by selecting the autonomous option. On-board enactment is disposable during the thrust done the app and an in-vehicle tablet.

WATCH: WeRide CEO: We are utilizing some Tesla and Waymo's attack to standard robotaxi operations