WeRide Secures Self-driving Vehicle Trial Permit In Dubai For Robotaxi Trials

(RTTNews) - WeRide, Inc. (WRD), autonomous driving technology company, announced Friday that it has 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.

WeRide also won the first place at the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, securing almost $1 million in prize money for its leading tech competence and ongoing contributions to Dubai's autonomous driving ecosystem.

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.

WeRide's Robotaxi is testing or operating across 11 cities in five countries - Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Ordos, Riyadh, Zurich, Shanghai, and Singapore.