Prime Highlights:
- Abu Dhabi becomes the first city in the MENA region to launch commercial operations of fully driverless Level 4 autonomous vehicles.
- The new permits mark a major step toward smart, safe and future-focused mobility across the emirate.
Key Facts:
- WeRide’s Robotaxi fleet has travelled more than 800,000 kmin Abu Dhabi, with up to 20 trips per vehicle per shift.
- AutoGo–K2 completed over 100,000 kmof autonomous testing on Yas Island before receiving approval for full unmanned operations.
Background:
Abu Dhabi has marked a historic milestone by becoming the first city in the Middle East and North Africa to approve and launch commercial operations of fully driverless, Level 4 autonomous vehicles. The announcement was made by the Integrated Transport Center (Abu Dhabi Mobility) during its participation at DRIFTx 2025, held as part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week.
Dr. Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, acting director general of Abu Dhabi Mobility, described the move as a “strategic milestone” that strengthens the emirate’s global standing in smart and sustainable mobility. He said the move shows the government’s strong commitment to adopting new technologies and ensuring they are used safely within a modern and efficient transport system.
This progress comes from close cooperation between Abu Dhabi Mobility, the UAE Regulations Lab, and the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC). They worked together to make the rules needed to safely bring autonomous vehicles onto Abu Dhabi’s roads. As part of this effort, Abu Dhabi Mobility has issued the first two operating permits enabling commercial autonomous vehicle services.
The initial phase will be led by two operators. WeRide, together with Uber and Tawasul, has finished on-road tests to make sure the vehicles and their sensors work safely in real traffic. By October 2025, its Robotaxi fleet had travelled more than 800,000 kilometers in Abu Dhabi, with each vehicle making up to 20 trips per 12-hour shift. The service now covers almost half of the city’s main areas. WeRide also began fully driverless Level 4 trials earlier in 2025, becoming the first company in the region to reach this stage.
The second operator, AutoGo-K2, in partnership with Baidu’s ApolloGo, achieved full unmanned operation approval on Yas Island within just a few months. Its fleet completed more than 100,000 kilometers of testing, advancing from supervised runs to completely driverless operations.
To ensure safety and compliance, Abu Dhabi Mobility will oversee all autonomous vehicle movements through a new digital platform that provides real-time tracking and incident reporting, the first of its kind in the MENA region.
