Above is partnering with Chinese company WeRide to supply autonomous vehicle rides in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the businesses announced Friday.

Initially, every WeRide robotaxi accessed through the Uber app might be accompanied by a human driver “to ensure a safe and reliable experience for drivers and pedestrians,” Uber said in a press release. The aim is to supply a totally driverless business service in Abu Dhabi later in 2025.

The robotaxis will begin operating between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, in addition to on routes to and from Zayed International Airport.

Uber's partner within the UAE, WeRideis a Chinese developer of autonomous vehicles. The company is listed on Nasdaq and likewise has permits to check self-driving vehicles, or each test and operate, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and the United States, in line with its website.

During a third-quarter earnings conference call in late October, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi boasted that the ride-hailing and delivery platform had partnered with greater than a dozen different autonomous vehicle firms.

“Our autonomous strategy is working,” he said, adding: “AV partners clearly understand the significant value that Uber can add to their deployment plans.”

Uber was already enabling tens of hundreds of autonomous vehicle rides per thirty days within the United States before expanding to the United Arab Emirates, an organization spokesperson told CNBC.

In a note from Redburn Atlantic on Wednesday, analyst James Cordwell identified potential “structural autonomous vehicle risks” to Uber's core mobility business alphabetThe Waymo-owned company is now each a partner and a possible competitive threat to Uber within the US.

“We believe autonomy will significantly expand the addressable market and Uber is well positioned to become the aggregator of autonomous vehicle providers,” Cordwell wrote. The company has a Buy rating on Uber shares with a year-end 2025 price goal of $90.