WeRide Inc. and Uber Technologies have begun Level 4 fully driverless robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi, marking the first such deployment in the Middle East and the first city outside the United States to host the service on the Uber platform.
The launch follows the issuance of Abu Dhabi’s first city‑level permit for fully autonomous robotaxi operations, a milestone that was secured by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) and supported by fleet partner Tawasul. Public commercial service began on Yas Island, where passengers can book a WeRide robotaxi through Uber Comfort, UberX or a new “Autonomous” category, all without a vehicle specialist on board.
WeRide’s presence in the UAE now includes a fleet of more than 100 robotaxis, and the Abu Dhabi operation is a key step toward the company’s goal of deploying hundreds of thousands of autonomous vehicles worldwide by 2030. The company expects the Abu Dhabi fleet to reach unit‑economics breakeven shortly, and it plans to expand to 500 vehicles in the Middle East by 2026 and to 15 additional global cities over the next five years.
The launch comes on the heels of a strong Q3 2025 earnings report in which WeRide posted total revenue of RMB 171 million (US$24 million), up 144 % YoY, and robotaxi revenue of RMB 35 million (US$5 million), up 761 % YoY. Gross profit surged to RMB 56 million (US$7.9 million), a 1,124 % jump, and the gross‑profit margin expanded to 32.9 % from 6.5 % a year earlier. The company’s net loss narrowed to RMB 307 million (US$42.9 million) from RMB 1.04 billion a year earlier, reflecting disciplined cost management and the scaling of high‑margin robotaxi services.
Tony Han, WeRide’s founder and CEO, said the Abu Dhabi permit “validates our path to profitability at scale” and that the city’s operations “will soon reach unit‑economics breakeven.” Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Li added that the Q3 results “demonstrate substantial improvement in both growth trajectory and operational leverage” and that the company remains focused on deploying hundreds of thousands of robotaxis by 2030.
Investors reacted positively to the combined announcement of the Abu Dhabi launch and the Q3 earnings, citing the company’s rapid revenue growth, margin expansion, and regulatory success as evidence of strong execution and a clear path to profitability.
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