Chinese autonomous driving technology provider WeRide announced that its Robotaxi has received the first approval for autonomous driving in Saudi Arabia last week, a milestone that makes it the only tech company globally with autonomous driving-approved products in six countries.

The other five are China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, France, and the United States.

With this license, the Guangzhou-headquartered company gained permission to operate autonomous driving services in Saudi Arabia and operate Robotaxi services nationwide. It has partnered with US peer Uber and local collaborator AiDriver for pilot operations in Riyadh, which started in early July.

A full-scale commercial Robotaxi service is expected to launch by the end of 2025 through a partnership between WeRide and Uber, allowing passengers to hail WeRide Robotaxis via the Uber app.

WeRide is the first autonomous vehicle technology company whose Robotaxi has completed the Transport General Authority's Regulatory Sandbox for AV Piloting in Saudi Arabia.

The approval process, conducted in coordination with multiple government agencies, includes rigorous testing, assessments, and technology validation to secure the Robotaxi autonomous driving permit, to ensure the highest standards of safety and performance, according to the company.

"This permit marks a major step in our global expansion, enabling us to scale Robotaxi services and unlock new commercial opportunities in Saudi Arabia," said Jennifer Li, CFO and head of International at WeRide.

"It drives large-scale deployment, unlocks new revenue streams, and reinforces our commitment to making autonomous mobility a reality worldwide," Li added.

WeRide's presence in Saudi Arabia — the Middle East's largest economy — dates back to May, when it began testing and operating its Robobus — a Level-4 autonomous vehicle — in key locations. Designed to suit the region's hot climate, the vehicle operates at parks, large-scale hotels and tourist attractions.

Its Robosweeper S1 is also in operation in the country, marking the first profitable autonomous driving sanitation project in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East region, tapping into a $12.5 billion global market for smart waste management.

Diversifying its product lineup helps mitigate volatility in autonomous vehicle adoption. Even if Robotaxi growth slows, sanitation and logistics offerings ensure a steady cash flow, industry experts said.

The company's WeRide One platform, capable of delivering L2-L4 automation, also future-proofs its business by adapting to evolving regulatory and consumer demands.

Furthermore, these deployments align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to build smart, sustainable cities by enhancing road safety, improving traffic management, and introducing innovative, technology-driven mobility solutions.

WeRide's Robotaxis and Robobuses support its push to develop a smart, sustainable transport infrastructure for residents and the growing number of visitors.

Beyond Saudi Arabia, the WeRide-Uber Robotaxi fleet in Abu Dhabi has tripled in size since the joint launch in December 2024, covering about 50 percent of the city's core area. WeRide-Uber aims to continue growing the fleet to hundreds of Robotaxis in Abu Dhabi alone.

Featuring WeRide's new GXR model, each vehicle is expected to average dozens of trips per day during a 12-hour shift, with rides typically exceeding six kilometers, according to WeRide.

The company maintains over 2,200 days of safe Robotaxi operations, it said.

The Nasdaq-listed company reported on Thursday that its total revenue grew 60.8 percent year-on-year to 127.2 million yuan ($17.8 million) in the second quarter of this year, demonstrating accelerating commercial momentum.

The revenue soared 836.7 percent to 45.9 million yuan during the period, the highest-ever quarterly Robotaxi revenue since company inception.

Tony Han, CEO of WeRide, said: "Our commercial success reflects the strength of our advanced technology, with the latest Nvidia Drive AGX Thor Chips-powered HPC 3.0 platform deployed on our GXR Robotaxi — setting new benchmarks for scalable, high-performance autonomous driving."

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn