Uber has officially launched its first international robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in partnership with Chinese autonomous driving startup WeRide. This milestone marks a significant expansion of Uber's autonomous vehicle (AV) ambitions beyond its home market.

The new service will allow customers to hail an autonomous vehicle from WeRide through the Uber app, with fares equivalent to UberX and Uber Comfort prices. While the vehicles will initially include safety drivers, Uber and WeRide aim to transition to fully driverless operations by 2025.

This partnership is a result of Uber's strategic shift towards becoming a platform-agnostic aggregator of autonomous vehicle services. Since ending its in-house self-driving car development in 2020, the ride-hailing giant has sought to collaborate with various companies operating AVs globally. WeRide, with its permits to operate driverless vehicles in the UAE, Singapore, China, and the US, is a key partner in this endeavor.

WeRide, founded in 2017 in Silicon Valley and incorporated in the Cayman Islands, has been testing and operating its autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi since July 2023. The company's TXAI app has been offering rides to customers in the region, and its self-driving technology also powers shuttle buses and freight equipment.

Notably, WeRide's initial public offering (IPO) in the US, valued at $5 billion, has been delayed due to documentation requirements. Despite this setback, the company's partnership with Uber demonstrates its commitment to advancing autonomous transportation.

Uber's autonomous vehicle ecosystem now includes partnerships with Cruise, Waymo, Motional, and Avride for self-driving cars, as well as Serve, Cartken, and Nuro for delivery robots. This diverse network of partners enables Uber to offer a wide range of autonomous services to its customers, further solidifying its position in the transportation technology landscape.

The launch of Uber's robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi marks a significant step forward in the company's vision to make autonomous vehicles accessible to a broader audience. As the industry continues to evolve, Uber's platform-agnostic approach is likely to play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation.

With its first international robotaxi service now live, Uber is poised to expand its autonomous offerings to more markets, further blurring the lines between traditional ride-hailing and futuristic transportation solutions.