Driverless robotaxis now available in Abu Dhabi

Service operated by Uber and WeRide operational in certain areas

Driverless robotaxi services operated by Uber Technologies and WeRide officially began in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after two weeks of conducting private trials.

The service uses Chinese company WeRide's van-type Robotaxi GXR, which is equipped with Level 4 autonomy, the penultimate step in fully autonomous driving.

Abu Dhabi is the first city outside the US to host fully driverless robotaxi operations on the Uber platform, according to the San Francisco-based company.

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The Uber app, as of noon on Wednesday, shows that the service is available in parts of Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island, from 8am to 10pm, depending on the route. Nearly 70 robotaxis were available.

To use the service, users have to select the new “autonomous” option on the app. Passengers can also be matched to a driverless taxi through Uber Comfort or Uber X. Both the pick-up and drop-off points must be within the operational location.

Fares are the same as Uber Comfort and Uber X, the service's two most affordable tiers. The driverless rides have several safety features, as found by The National during a test ride earlier this month.

Among the locations that the autonomous vehicles serve are key points such as Yas Mall, Galleria Mall and the Abrahamic Family House, the app shows.

WeRide's autonomous vehicles are fitted with Lidar – light detection and ranging – that uses laser light to measure distances and create precise 3D maps of the surroundings, as well as radars and cameras.

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  Uber is test-driving WeRide's Robotaxi GXR, which it plans to use for its autonomous Abu Dhabi taxi service. All photos: Pawan Singh for The National

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  A barrier is installed to the right of the 'driving' seat to protect the vehicle from tampering

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  The Robotaxi GXR can accommodate five passengers

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  The autonomous taxi features a touchscreen on which details of the journey are displayed

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  The vehicle is equipped with cameras for monitoring and security purposes

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  Cameras also feature on the exterior in a bid to boost safety while on the road

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  A dedicated team is on standby and ready to be sent to the scene should the driverless taxi encounter problems

The move “represents a major step towards the large-scale deployment of self-driving mobility solutions in the UAE”, Uber and WeRide said.

The roll out comes amid a growing focus on self-driving services in the UAE, especially in Abu Dhabi, as the nation continues to prepare for the future of smart mobility.

Companies developing autonomous technologies have been racing to put their vehicles on roads, with increased focus on reliability and safety.

There are six levels of autonomy, from zero to five, in which vehicles do not require human intervention under most circumstances. Level five requires no human attention and vehicles with that status may not have steering wheels or pedals.

Uber and WeRide plan to expand their Middle East operations, “scaling to thousands of Robotaxis over the coming years”, they said.

WeRide has already partnered with Abu Dhabi Mobility and taxi company Tawasul.

The emirate also has its own fleet of driverless taxis on Yas Island, run by TXAI, which is the UAE's first driverless taxi service.

Guangzhou-based WeRide has driverless taxi services in five Chinese cities and has plans to introduce them in Zurich. Its first commercial autonomous taxi services in the Middle East were launched in Abu Dhabi in December 2024.