Chinese company secures Saudi Arabia's first autonomous driving license for Robotaxi operations

(ECNS) -- Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide announced Monday that its Robotaxi has been granted Saudi Arabia's first autonomous driving license.

With this license, WeRide is authorized to operate autonomous driving services across Saudi Arabia.

In the initial phase, WeRide has partnered with Uber and local collaborator AiDriver to launch a pilot Robotaxi operation in Riyadh, which began in early July and covers key locations in Riyadh, including major highways and designated downtown zones. Full-scale commercial Robotaxi operations in the city are planned to be jointly launched by the end of 2025.

Securing a Robotaxi license in Saudi Arabia involves rigorous review and approval processes by multiple government departments, including testing, evaluation, and technical validation, to ensure the highest standards of safety and performance.

Except for the Robotaxi project, WeRide is also deploying its Robobus in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, its autonomous street sweeper S1 has been introduced, which became the first commercialized autonomous sanitation project in the Middle East.

(By Gong Weiwei)