Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi praised the company’s growing partnerships in the UAE for self-driving car services, speaking at the Semafor World Economy Summit 2025 in Washington on Friday.
Khosrowshahi highlighted Uber’s collaboration with China’s WeRide, which has already introduced autonomous vehicle services in Abu Dhabi and plans to expand into Dubai.
"It’s a terrific team, and we offer WeRides now in Abu Dhabi, and recently announced that expansion into Dubai as well," he said.
The partnership, launched in 2024, saw self-driving WeRide cars operating on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, with future growth expected.
The vehicles, operated by UAE transport company Tawasul, run on the Uber platform and include a human safety operator behind the wheel.
Earlier this year, Uber and WeRide also partnered with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to introduce driverless taxis to Dubai, further strengthening the UAE’s push toward sustainable and innovative transport solutions.
Khosrowshahi, speaking during the "AI and the Next Tech Revolution" portion of the summit, also discussed challenges in the broader automotive sector, referencing Tesla’s struggles amid declining profits and political controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk.
While noting the difficulty of the original equipment manufacturing business, he praised Tesla’s vehicles, admitting he owns one and occasionally uses its self-driving features.
“It’s delightful but I have to take over once in a while,” Khosrowshahi said.
Uber continues to invest in autonomous vehicle development, balancing its long-standing reliance on human drivers with future ambitions for driverless transport.
Other notable speakers at the summit included Khaldoon Al Mubarak, managing director of Mubadala, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, and Nasdaq chief Adena Friedman.
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