WeRide and Uber Begin First Commercial Robotaxi Service in Downtown Abu Dhabi

WeRide and Uber have launched the first commercial Robotaxi service in downtown Abu Dhabi, the companies announced in a Feb. 12, 2026 press release. The expansion brings WeRide-Uber autonomous vehicles into core city areas including Corniche Road and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque corridor, and extends operations across Khalifa City, Masdar City and Rabdan. The partners say the service now covers roughly 70% of Abu Dhabi’s core areas, the fleet has quadrupled in size since operations began in December 2024, and WeRide operates more than 200 Robotaxis in the Middle East.

"Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement," the company states in the release, framing the ride-hailing giant’s role in integrating autonomous vehicles into its platform.

Service rollout and partners

The newly expanded service is available to riders through the Uber app on UberX and Uber Comfort trips and via a dedicated "Autonomous" booking option. Public commercial operations have commenced with a vehicle specialist on board as part of a phased approach toward fully driverless deployments. Tawasul Transport, described in the release as a leading UAE national transport company, is the main fleet operator providing fleet management services for the WeRide vehicles on Uber's platform.

• Operational areas: Corniche Road ↔ Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Khalifa City, Masdar City, Rabdan
• Earlier coverage: Al Reem, Al Maryah, Yas, Saadiyat and highways to/from Zayed International Airport
• Notable stops in the coverage area: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and hotels along Corniche Road including Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, Edition Hotel Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Rixos Marina, and Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort Abu Dhabi Corniche

The press release highlights regulatory backing from Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), noting that the downtown expansion was endorsed by the ITC and positions the service to support tourism connectivity. The statement also pointed to tourism growth figures: hotels across the emirate hosted 4.8 million guests in 2024, a 27% year-on-year increase in international visitors, underscoring demand along corridors now served by Robotaxis.

Technology, permits and scale plans

WeRide supplied the Robotaxi GXR vehicles used in the expansion. The company said its Robotaxi secured the world's first city-level fully driverless Robotaxi permit outside the United States in October 2025, and in November 2025 the partners launched the Middle East's first Level 4 fully driverless Robotaxi commercial operations on Yas Island. WeRide has operated Robotaxis in Abu Dhabi since 2021 and received a national license in 2023 covering autonomous testing and operations across the UAE, subject to emirate-level approvals.

Looking ahead, WeRide and Uber committed in February 2026 to deploy at least 1,200 Robotaxis across the Middle East as soon as 2027, spanning Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh. The rollout strategy remains phased: current trips may include an onboard vehicle specialist while scaling toward more extensive driverless operations as regulatory and operational milestones are met.