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Uber has announced a collaboration with WeRide, a Chinese company specialising in autonomous vehicles, to provide driverless ride services in Abu Dhabi.
Initially, each WeRide robotaxi requested through the Uber app will have a human operator onboard. This measure is intended to guarantee a safe and dependable experience for both passengers and pedestrians, as stated in a press release from Uber. The goal is to launch a completely driverless commercial service in Abu Dhabi by 2025.
The robotaxis are set to operate on routes connecting Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, in addition to services to and from Zayed International Airport. WeRide, Uber’s collaborator in the U.A.E., is notable for being a publicly traded autonomous vehicle innovator on the Nasdaq.
According to its website, the company possesses permits for testing and operating driverless vehicles in various locations, including Dubai, China, Singapore, and the United States.
On a third-quarter earnings call in late October, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi boasted that the ride-hailing and delivery platform has secured partnerships with more than a dozen different autonomous vehicle companies.
“Our autonomous strategy is working,” he said. “AV partners are clearly understanding the significant value Uber can bring to their deployment plans.”
Moreover, Uber was already facilitating tens of thousands of autonomous vehicle rides per month in the U.S. before its UAE expansion.
In a note from Redburn Atlantic on Wednesday, analyst James Cordwell identified potential “structural risk from autonomous vehicles” for Uber’s core mobility business, with Alphabet-owned Waymo standing out as both a partner and potential competitive threat to Uber in the U.S. today.
“We believe autonomy will significantly expand the addressable market and Uber is well positioned to be the aggregator of autonomous vehicle providers,” Cordwell wrote. The firm has a buy rating on shares of Uber with a 2025 year-end price target of $90.