Dubai: Uber Technologies Inc. has announced its first autonomous rides outside the US in Abu Dhabi, making good on an earlier partnership struck with Chinese vehicle partner WeRide Inc., according to a Bloomberg report.
Riders can request autonomous vehicles at UberX or Uber Comfort rates around key tourist areas of the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the company said in a statement. Those areas include Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, and routes to and from Zayed International Airport, with plans to expand the operating territory in the future.
At initial launch, each AV will have a safety operator present to ensure a secure and reliable experience for riders and pedestrians, laying the groundwork for a fully driverless commercial service planned for later in 2025, Uber announced in a media release.
Noah Zych, Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery Operations, said: “We’re thrilled to launch our partnership with WeRide, and receive the support of Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre. As we take this next step in Abu Dhabi, we are excited to build on the strength of the Uber platform, helping our partners make autonomous vehicles a part of everyday life.”
The latest foray marks further progress by Uber in its hopes to become the go-to app for hailing autonomous vehicles without having to develop its own self-driving technology. Bloomberg has reported that Uber has struck at least seven related partnerships since June, including with Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, and is also invested in autonomous startups, including WeRide.
Even so, investors are still nervous about the future of Uber and Lyft Inc.’s business model, which currently relies on a large population of human drivers to be quickly matched with riders. Competition is rising from Waymo, which is an Uber partner in select US cities but also offers driverless rides on its own consumer app in other key markets like San Francisco.
