Experience the future of urban travel as Abu Dhabi rolls out driverless taxis on Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands
If you find yourself catching a ride on Al Reem or Al Maryah Island, don’t be surprised if no one’s sitting in the driver’s seat.
Abu Dhabi’s driverless taxi fleet has expanded its reach to include Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands, two of the city’s busiest neighbourhoods, marking a major milestone in the emirate’s push for smart transport by 2040. The service, backed by the Integrated Transport Centre and global tech firm WeRide, now covers about half of the city’s core areas.
Al Reem and Al Maryah are the city’s nerve centres, where office towers, luxury apartments and high-end malls all compete for space. Being home to the city’s financial, residential and retail action, making them prime testing grounds for this kind of tech.
It’s not just about convenience. The expansion is part of Abu Dhabi’s bigger plan to become a global leader in sustainable urban transport. Since the self-driving taxis first appeared on the Uber app in December 2024, the fleet has tripled in size.
“This expansion marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi’s journey towards realising its vision for a smarter and safer mobility system,” said Dr Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Acting Director General at the ITC.
The capital is the first city in the MENA region to commercially operate autonomous vehicles, with 44 currently on the road. This latest rollout builds on partnerships with global heavyweights like WeRide, Uber, Space42 and local operator Tawasul Transport, all working together to turn smart mobility from a buzzword into everyday reality.
WeRide’s CFO, Jennifer Li, said: “Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands are dynamic, high-demand areas and serve as key gateways to Abu Dhabi. This expansion gives us the opportunity to reach more passengers, showcase our advanced technology in complex urban settings, and further accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicles across the city.
The expansion follows the success of existing routes on Al Saadiyat and Yas Islands, as well as routes to Zayed International Airport. It signals a clear push to make autonomous taxis a common sight across the city.
Uber’s Mohamad Jardaneh said the company was excited to bring AV tech into the mainstream.
“We’ve seen some great engagement from riders in Abu Dhabi since launch and are excited to make autonomous rides more accessible to even more people in the emirate. Just as Uber helped millions experience electric vehicles for the first time, 2025 will be the year we bring AV technology into the mainstream,” Jardaneh said.
Image: Abu Dhabi Mobility
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