WeRide Secures Autonomous Driving Permit in Saudi Arabia, Products Licensed in Six Countries

WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology, has secured Saudi Arabia's first Robotaxi autonomous driving permit, making it the world's only technology company with products holding permits in six countries. The permit allows WeRide to operate an autonomous vehicle business and deploy Robotaxis nationwide in Saudi Arabia, starting with pilot operations in Riyadh with Uber and local partner Ai Driver. A full-scale commercial Robotaxi service is expected to launch by end-2025 through a partnership with Uber.

WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ: WRD), a global leader in autonomous driving technology, has secured Saudi Arabia's first Robotaxi autonomous driving permit. This achievement makes WeRide the world's only technology company with products holding permits in six countries: Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, Singapore, France, and the US [3]. The permit allows WeRide to operate an autonomous vehicle business and deploy Robotaxis nationwide in Saudi Arabia, starting with pilot operations in Riyadh with Uber and local partner Ai Driver [3].

The pilot program, launched earlier this month, covers King Khalid International Airport and several key locations throughout Riyadh, including major highways and selected city center destinations. A full-scale commercial Robotaxi service is expected to launch by end-2025 through a partnership with Uber [3].

WeRide's Robotaxi was granted the permit at an official ceremony last week, attended by His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Transport General Authority (TGA); Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International at WeRide; and other senior Saudi government officials [3]. The approval process, conducted in coordination with multiple government agencies, includes rigorous testing, assessments, and technology validation to secure the Robotaxi autonomous driving permit, ensuring the highest standards of safety and performance [3].

This announcement follows WeRide’s entry into Saudi Arabia in May 2025. In addition to its Robotaxi plans, WeRide has been testing and operating its Robobus in key locations including King Fahad Medical City, Aramco residential communities, AlUla, and the Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. Its Robosweeper S1 is also in operation at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, marking the first monetized autonomous sanitation project in both Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East [1].

Beyond Saudi Arabia, WeRide has been rapidly expanding across the region in the last few months. Its Robotaxis are currently undergoing fully driverless Robotaxi testing in Abu Dhabi — the first deployment of its kind in the Middle East — and will also soon extend its Robotaxi service to Dubai [3].

WeRide is a global leader and a first mover in the autonomous driving industry, as well as the first publicly traded Robotaxi company. Our autonomous vehicles have been tested or operated in over 30 cities across 10 countries. We are also the first and only technology company whose products have received autonomous driving permits in six markets: China, France, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE, and the US [3].

References:
[1] https://www.investing.com/news/sec-filings/weride-launches-first-robotaxi-pilot-in-saudi-arabia-in-partnership-with-uber-93CH-4150199
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/weride-gains-shanghai-permit-autonomous-robotaxi-service-partners-chery-revolutionize-urban-mobility-2507/
[3] https://www.stocktitan.net/news/WRD/we-ride-robotaxi-secures-autonomous-driving-permit-in-saudi-arabia-i8sxdon689gr.html