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Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide have launched robotaxi operations without a human safety operator in Dubai as part of a broader expansion in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Riders can now book the vehicles through Uber\u2019s app, with operations in commercial and industrial districts like\u00a0<\/strong>Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investment Park Second, and Jabal Ali Industrial First, as well as suburban areas and the maritime trading hub Al Hamriya Port. The service is operated locally by Tawasul, a mobility and fleet operator in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n The companies first introduced robotaxis to Dubai in December under a pilot program but didn\u2019t charge for rides and still had a human safety operator on board. The government\u2019s Roads and Transport Authority issued a driverless vehicle trial permit to the companies last month.<\/p>\n The deployment signals an escalation in WeRide\u2019s robotaxi operations in the region and Uber\u2019s continued involvement in the company. Uber holds a 5.82% stake in WeRide, according to documents filed<\/a> Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Last year, it invested $100 million<\/a> into WeRide. Uber\u2019s equity stake is valued at around $150 million based on WeRide\u2019s closing stock price on Monday. <\/p>\n \u201cBringing fully driverless vehicles to Dubai is an important milestone in making autonomous mobility a global reality,\u201d Sarfraz Maredia, Uber\u2019s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said in a statement. \u201cThis launch underscores our deep commitment to the UAE and our vision for a hybrid world \u2014 where drivers and AVs operate side-by-side to create a more resilient network. Especially during challenging times in the region, we are proud to be a partner to this city, ensuring that Uber is always there to help people move seamlessly and with confidence.\u201d <\/p>\n Uber increased<\/a> its investment into WeRide in May 2025 as part of a commercial robotaxi partnership to bring service to another 15 cities over the next five years. The companies\u00a0have previously shared that the expansion<\/a>\u00a0would include cities in Europe.<\/p>\n Under the partnership, WeRide\u2019s robotaxi services are available through the Uber app. The relationship is similar to Uber\u2019s deal with Waymo, in which the ride-hailing company handles the network routing and fleet operations, while the autonomous vehicle company remains responsible for the AV tech.<\/p>\n Correction March 31 at 12:15 p.m. PT: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Uber had increased its stake in WeRide. An earlier version of this article also misstated the value of Uber\u2019s equity stake in WeRide. It is around $150 million as of Monday. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n