Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide has expanded into the Saudi Arabian market, as it continues its international rollout and deepens its cooperation with Uber Technologies.
The company has started testing and deploying autonomous vehicles—including Robotaxis, Robobuses, and Robosweepers—in several Saudi cities such as Riyadh and AlUla. These deployments are intended to lay the foundation for future large-scale commercial operations.
WeRide plans to begin pilot operations of its robotaxi service on Uber’s platform within the next few months, with full commercial deployment in Saudi Arabia scheduled for 2025. Autonomous Robobuses are also being trialed in several key areas, including King Fahad Medical City and the Aramco Employee Community in Riyadh.
The company said its autonomous driving solutions are expected to support the development of smarter and more sustainable transport systems across the region.
Founded in 2017, WeRide became publicly listed on Nasdaq in October 2024. It has steadily expanded its collaboration with Uber since entering a strategic partnership in September of the same year. Robotaxi services were launched in Abu Dhabi in December 2024, followed by an expansion to Dubai in April 2025.
In May, WeRide launched the first fully unmanned robotaxi trial operation in the Middle East and announced plans to bring autonomous ride-hailing to 15 additional cities globally over the next five years. The company is currently active in 30 cities across 10 countries.