Abu Dhabi took another step toward friction-free urban mobility on 26 November when Uber switched on a fleet of fully driverless robotaxis supplied by Guangzhou-based autonomous-driving pioneer WeRide. For the first time outside the United States, business travellers opening the Uber app and selecting an UberX or Uber Comfort ride can be paired with a car that has no safety driver at the wheel. The service initially covers a 12-square-mile zone that includes Yas Island’s hotels, meeting venues and leisure attractions—areas heavily frequented by visiting executives and conference delegates.
The launch follows a year-long pilot that kept safety operators in the front seat while regulators assessed the technology. After more than 100,000 autonomous kilometres without a major incident, the Integrated Transport Centre and police granted a commercial licence for fully unmanned operation. Each WeRide GXR SUV is equipped with 20 lidar, radar and camera sensors and communicates in real time with a cloud-based fleet-management platform jointly run by Uber and Abu Dhabi-based Tawasul Transport.
![Uber and WeRide deploy fully-driverless robotaxis on Uber app in Abu Dhabi]()
For mobility managers the implications are two-fold. First, the cost of airport-hotel shuttles and in-city rides could fall by 20–30 per cent once autonomous vehicles scale, helping companies cap T&E budgets. Second, the UAE’s willingness to fast-track self-driving regulation strengthens its pitch as a test-bed for emerging transport tech—something multinationals can leverage for pilot programmes and regional showcases.
Uber says coverage will widen to Abu Dhabi’s CBD and, by late 2026, to Dubai’s Expo City. The partners are also studying robotaxi corridors linking Zayed International Airport with Masdar City, which would give arriving expatriate assignees a seamless, app-based transfer with no driver interaction—useful for newcomers who do not yet speak Arabic. Meanwhile, WeRide confirms it now operates more than 100 robotaxis across the Gulf, underscoring the region’s rapid adoption curve for autonomous mobility.
Business-travel specialists should begin updating traveller risk assessments and ground-transport policies to reflect driverless options, including guidelines on emergency overrides and data-privacy consent when video sensors are operating inside the cabin.
The launch follows a year-long pilot that kept safety operators in the front seat while regulators assessed the technology. After more than 100,000 autonomous kilometres without a major incident, the Integrated Transport Centre and police granted a commercial licence for fully unmanned operation. Each WeRide GXR SUV is equipped with 20 lidar, radar and camera sensors and communicates in real time with a cloud-based fleet-management platform jointly run by Uber and Abu Dhabi-based Tawasul Transport.
For mobility managers the implications are two-fold. First, the cost of airport-hotel shuttles and in-city rides could fall by 20–30 per cent once autonomous vehicles scale, helping companies cap T&E budgets. Second, the UAE’s willingness to fast-track self-driving regulation strengthens its pitch as a test-bed for emerging transport tech—something multinationals can leverage for pilot programmes and regional showcases.
Uber says coverage will widen to Abu Dhabi’s CBD and, by late 2026, to Dubai’s Expo City. The partners are also studying robotaxi corridors linking Zayed International Airport with Masdar City, which would give arriving expatriate assignees a seamless, app-based transfer with no driver interaction—useful for newcomers who do not yet speak Arabic. Meanwhile, WeRide confirms it now operates more than 100 robotaxis across the Gulf, underscoring the region’s rapid adoption curve for autonomous mobility.
Business-travel specialists should begin updating traveller risk assessments and ground-transport policies to reflect driverless options, including guidelines on emergency overrides and data-privacy consent when video sensors are operating inside the cabin.
