WeRide has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Uber Technologies. Under the agreement, pilot operations of autonomous vehicles will commence in Dubai later this year via the Uber app. In the initial phase, the vehicles will operate with a safety driver on board, paving the way for the full-scale commercial rollout of driverless services in 2026. Field preparations for the pilot phase are underway, led by WeRide and Uber, with strategic support and supervision from RTA.
Jennifer Li, CFO and head of international at WeRide, said, “We are accelerating our international expansion, with the Middle East as a strategic priority. Last month, we expanded our partnership with Uber to roll out robotaxis in 15 additional cities over the next five years, with cities in the Middle East under consideration, and now have formalized our collaboration with Uber and the RTA to bring autonomous vehicles to Dubai through this MoU. We are fully aligned with the Dubai government’s ambitious vision to make 25% of all transportation trips autonomous by 2030, and are proud to support this goal with our advanced technology and global experience.”
The signing formalizes WeRide’s partnership with Uber and RTA following the initial announcement in April 2025.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general, chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, stated, “The introduction of autonomous vehicles in Dubai represents a significant leap toward a smart and sustainable future for mobility, in line with the vision of our leadership to transform Dubai into the world’s smartest city. It also supports the objectives of the Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which seeks to convert 25% of all mobility journeys in the emirate into autonomous trips across various transportation modes by 2030. This MoU reinforces Dubai’s global leadership in adopting advanced and sustainable transportation solutions, embracing state-of-the-art technologies, and fostering innovative mobility initiatives.”
Frans Hiemstra, regional general manager, MEA at Uber, added, “At Uber, we are building the future of transportation, one we see as autonomous, electric and shared. Today we’re thrilled to ink our partnership with RTA to bring autonomous vehicle operations in the UAE by launching in Dubai in 2025, starting with WeRide as our first technology partner. This strategic collaboration anchors our commitment to make autonomous vehicles more accessible to people around the world and we’re excited to bring this experience to thousands of riders in Dubai later this year.”
Wayve and Uber Technologies recently announced a plan to develop and launch public-road trials of Level 4 fully autonomous vehicles in London – the largest market where Uber has announced an intention to pilot autonomous vehicles