Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide has expanded into Saudi Arabia, where it is testing and deploying its robotaxis and other core autonomous driving products in Riyadh and AlUla.

This is setting the stage for commercial rollout and wider operations across Saudi Arabia.

WeRide has commenced ground preparation work ahead of its upcoming robotaxi trial operations, with support from the Transport General Authority (tga.gov.sa). The service is set to launch on Uber (www.uber.com) in the coming months, with full commercial services expected in late 2025. This deployment supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions to build smart, sustainable cities by enhancing road safety and traffic management, and introducing mobility innovations.

WeRide has also been testing and deploying its robobus in key areas including King Fahad Medical City, Aramco residential communities, AlUla, and the Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. This level-four autonomous vehicle is designed to address last-kilometre transportation gaps and complements transit networks such as Riyadh Metro. It serves various use cases from parks to hotels and tourist attractions.

In Riyadh, WeRide’s Robosweeper S1 has also been deployed at King Fahad Medical City, marking the first monetised autonomous sanitation project in the Middle East. Spanning 500,000m², it is the Middle East’s largest medical complex, with constant heavy foot and vehicle traffic and a complicated layout.

WeRide’s expansion into Saudi Arabia builds on its growing international presence across the Middle East. Earlier this month, WeRide launched fully driverless robotaxi testing in Abu Dhabi, the first deployment of its kind in the region. It will be extending its robotaxi service coverage to Al Maryah and Al Reem Islands.

Also in May, WeRide and Uber announced plans (www.iotm2mcouncil.org/iot-library/news/connected-transportation-news/weride-and-uber-extend-partnership-beyond-uae) to expand their partnership, bringing robotaxis to 15 additional cities globally over the next five years. This follows its robotaxi launch in Abu Dhabi, which saw the largest public commercial robotaxi fleet deployed outside the USA and China in December 2024. This April, the partnership was expanded to Dubai, where WeRide’s robotaxis will soon be available on Uber’s platform.

WeRide (www.weride.ai) autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across ten countries. It has received autonomous driving permits in China, UAE, Singapore, France and USA. Empowered by the WeRide One platform, it provides autonomous driving products and services from L2 to L4, addressing transportation needs in the mobility, logistics and sanitation industries.