Another big win for the UAE capital. Abu Dhabi has just become the first city in the entire MENA region to launch commercial driverless taxis!
The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) – an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, announced the same during DRIFTx 2025, held as part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week.
The initiative is being carried out under the supervision of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC).
On-road testing and Level 4 commercial driverless vehicles
The launch marks the start of Level 4 autonomous vehicle operations – part of which means the ITC has granted the first two operating permits for the commercial deployment of fully driverless vehicles. These will be operated by WeRide, in collaboration with Uber and Tawasul, and by AutoGo–K2, working with ApolloGo–Baidu.
The ITC confirmed that the permits were issued only after meeting stringent safety and operational requirements and completing extensive on-road testing.
“These tests covered performance evaluations, sensor systems and vehicle responses in real-world traffic conditions in Abu Dhabi,” the ITC said.
Meanwhile, AutoGo–K2 achieved full unmanned, Level 4 operation approval on Yas Island in record time, advancing from initial deployment in July 2025 to ITC-certified driverless service by September. Within that period, its fleet completed over 100,000km of autonomous testing, moving swiftly from safety-officer monitoring to passenger-seat supervision, and finally to completely unmanned operation.
So far, driverless taxi services have been tested in ‘high-density areas’, namely Al Reem and Al Maryah islands. The service was carried out in collaboration with WeRide, with Uber and Tawasul Transport as the local operator of the project.
The future of commercial driverless taxis and other vehicles is here
ITC will monitor all autonomous vehicle movements in real time through an advanced digital platform that allows live tracking and immediate logging of incidents or violations. This system – a first of its kind in the region – will enhance regulatory control and strengthen public confidence in the emerging driverless ecosystem.
Aside from commercial driverless taxis in abu Dhabi, the Integrated Transport Centre had also launched a fleet of Robosweeper self-driving cleaning vehicles on the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
Developed by K2 subsidiary Autogo under the supervision of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council, it is overseen by the DMT. The latest in a line of self-driving service vehicles to join the emirate’s roads, it underscores the aims towards sustainable public facility management.
The emirate also recently issued the first official licence plate for its first-ever self-driving delivery vehicle, as part of the launch of Abu Dhabi’s first pilot programme for autonomous delivery vehicles.
So, when can you start booking these in Abu Dhabi?
While an official date hasn’t been given, we can be sure that it’s going to happen fairly soon. More importantly, this would mean that the capital is on target to achieve 30% smart transport services by 2030, making for a more seamless and environmentally sustainable change in the UAE.
Follow Secret Abu Dhabi for more news, events and all the hottest updates in the capital and beyond
