Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Sunday, June 15, a new agreement with with Uber Technologies, Inc. and WeRide, a global autonomous driving leader, to launch self-driving vehicles in the emirate.
Under the agreement, pilot operations will begin by the end of 2025 through the Uber app. In the initial phase, vehicles will include a safety driver to oversee operations, with a full commercial rollout of driverless services planned for 2026.
“This marks a major step towards a smarter, more sustainable transport system, in line with our leadership’s vision to make Dubai the smartest city in the world,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA.
He added that the initiative supports the Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to make 25 percent of all trips in the city autonomous by 2030.
This is not the first autonomous vehicle partnership in Dubai. In April, the RTA signed a deal with China’s Baidu to bring 1,000 self-driving cars to the city by 2028.
Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, Uber and WeRide launched the Middle East’s first commercial driverless mobility service in December.
Dubai is also preparing to introduce electric air taxis, with operations expected to begin in early 2026, according to a previous RTA announcement.
