WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, secured a self-driving vehicle trial permit from Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) earlier this month to conduct Robotaxi trials in the city.
The company also won first place at the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, securing almost US$1 million in prize money for its leading tech competence and ongoing contributions to Dubai’s autonomous driving ecosystem. The award was presented at the 2025 Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport (DWC), where His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, visited WeRide’s Robotaxi GXR display and reaffirmed the company’s role in shaping Dubai’s future smart mobility.
WeRide’s initial Robotaxi GXR trial service will cover core areas including Jumeirah’s key commercial districts and the residential communities of Za’abeel First, Al Manara, Umm Suqeim, and Al Safa. Future operations will extend to Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai International Airport, and additional downtown areas.
The rollout will start with 50 Robotaxi GXRs in Dubai, with plans to expand the Middle East fleet to 1,000 vehicles and ultimately deploy tens of thousands of Robotaxis by 2030. With this permit, Dubai becomes the 11th city worldwide and the second in the UAE to deploy WeRide Robotaxis.
Earlier this year, WeRide obtained the first batch of Dubai road test licenses and has already started testing in the city’s core areas. In the next phase, WeRide will commence trials with an on-board safety officer on the Uber platform within the year, with fully driverless commercial operations targeted for 2026.
At DWC, WeRide also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RTA, outlining collaboration on the Dubai Autonomous Zone. The agreement reinforces WeRide’s commitment to supporting Dubai’s transformation into a global innovation hub for autonomous technology across passenger transport, logistics, and urban mobility.
WeRide continues to be a global leader in autonomous mobility, with Robotaxi testing or operations across 11 cities in five countries — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Ordos, Riyadh, Zurich, Shanghai, and Singapore.
Beyond Dubai, WeRide is conducting fully driverless Robotaxi testing in Abu Dhabi, marking the first and only fully driverless Robotaxi testing and soon operation outside of China and the US. This represents a crucial step toward fully unmanned commercial operations and underscores WeRide’s leadership not only in the Middle East but also on the global stage.
SOURCE: WeRide
