Dubai to have self-driving Uber taxis this year
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority on Sunday announced an agreement with Uber and WeRide to establish the launch of self-driving vehicles in the emirate.
Pilot operations will begin through the Uber app by the end of 2025 with safety drivers on board during the initial phase. The full-scale commercial roll-out will then begin in 2026, Dubai Media Office reported.
'The introduction of autonomous vehicles in Dubai represents a significant leap towards a smart and sustainable future for mobility, in line with the vision of our leadership to transform Dubai into the world's smartest city,' Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said.
'It also supports the objectives of Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which seeks to convert 25 per cent of all mobility journeys in the emirate into autonomous trips across various transport modes by 2030.'
The deal with Uber is not the first of its kind in the emirate. In April, the RTA joined forces with China's Baidu to bring 1,000 of the company's autonomous vehicles to Dubai by 2028.
Trials of 50 cars – operated under Baidu's ride-hailing service Apollo Go – will take place in the coming months for data collection and testing.
Looking to the future
The UAE aims to become a leader in smart mobility systems to boost sustainability and adopt the latest technologies. Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October 2023 after the US self-driving tech company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors and Honda Motor, was issued with a trial permit.
In Abu Dhabi, Uber and China's WeRide launched the Middle East's first commercial driverless mobility service in December. The UAE capital already has its own fleet of driverless taxis on Yas Island run by TXAI, the UAE's first driverless taxi service.
In addition, electric air taxis are expected to begin operating in Dubai during the first quarter of 2026, the RTA confirmed in September.
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