On Friday, U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies, Inc. ( UBER ) and Chinese Robotaxi company WeRide Inc. ( WRD ) announced the launch of their ride-hailing partnership in Abu Dhabi.

The launch represents the first time autonomous vehicles (AVs) are available on the Uber platform outside the U.S. and the largest commercial robotaxi service outside the U.S. and China.

UAE national transport company Tawasul Transport will act as the fleet operator.

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Now, Uber riders in Abu Dhabi requesting UberX or Uber Comfort can qualify for a WeRide AV ride.

The service will be available in key areas between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island and routes to and from Zayed International Airport. The plan is to expand the operating territory in the future.

At the initial launch, each AV will have a safety operator present to ensure a secure and reliable experience, targeting a fully driverless commercial service planned for later in 2025.

In July 2023, WeRide ( WRD ) bagged UAE’s exclusive national license, which permits the testing and operation of its autonomous vehicles on public roads throughout the country.

According to CIC forecasts, the global autonomous driving market has the potential to grow at an 80% compound annual growth rate from $93 billion in 2025 to $1.745 trillion by 2030. The market has a growth potential of 85% CAGR for China, reaching $639 billion by 2030.

in other recent robotaxi initiatives, on Thursday, Alphabet Inc’s Waymo announced plans to launch its commercial robotaxi service in Miami in 2026.

Earlier this week, Baidu Inc ( BIDU ) won Hong Kong’s first autonomous vehicle test license under new 2024 legislation.

Reportedly, Tesla Inc ( TSLA ) is aggressively hiring software engineers to boost its teleoperation capabilities for robotaxis.

Price Actions: At the last check on Friday, UBER stock was up 1.18% to $65.96 in the premarket session, while WRD was up 5.89%.

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