Ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies and WeRide have teamed up with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority to bring self-driving taxis to the emirate's roads.
San Francisco-based Uber and the RTA will launch pilot programmes, ensure safety protocols and regulatory frameworks, and explore data insight, Uber and WeRide said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
WeRide, based in Guangzhou, China, became the first autonomous vehicle (AV) provider to secure a national licence from the UAE for self-driving vehicles on public roads, in July 2023.
Dubai will become the second city in the Middle East to have WeRide's robotaxis on its roads after the company joined forces with Uber to launch a commercial driverless mobility service in Abu Dhabi in December.
Further details, including target dates for AV introduction in Dubai, will be announced at a later date, the statement said.
“This partnership … represents a crucial step in advancing Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to transform 25 per cent of all journeys in the city into autonomous trips across various transport modes by 2030,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and board chairman of the RTA. The UAE aims to become a leader in smart mobility systems to boost sustainability.
Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its 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.
Dubai Taxi Company, which partnered with European mobility company Bolt to launch ride-hailing services, plans to launch its first autonomous taxi service in the emirate by the first quarter of 2026, its chief executive Mansoor Alfalasi told The National in February.
The emirate is “a natural step forward” for WeRide's strategy of advancing mobility in the wider Middle East region, the company's chief financial officer, Jennifer Li, said.
Abu Dhabi 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.
Manufacturers of self-driving vehicles continue to improve their capabilities and safety, which is expanding the market. The industry's market size is projected to hit more than $2.2 trillion by 2030, from an estimated $287.6 billion in 2024, at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 34 per cent, data from Next Move Strategy Consulting shows.
In the UAE alone, the ride-hailing market is projected to post a “significant” rise in revenue, to reach nearly $204 million in 2025, a study from Statista Market Insights shows.
Uber is “working with the world’s leading autonomous vehicle developers to help commercialise and deploy this technology at scale around the world”, said the company's head of autonomous mobility, Noah Zych.
Uber is considered the pioneer of ride-hailing services and operates in 70 countries. In 2019, the company acquired Dubai's Careem in a $3.1 billion deal, and has expanded into food delivery and freight.
WeRide, which is present in 10 countries, provides driving products and services that comply to autonomous levels two to four, the latter of which would need no human driver in most circumstances. It says it is the only company to hold driverless permits in China, France, Singapore, the UAE and the US.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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