DUBAI – After the government issued a licence for the business WeRide, self-driving cars will soon be on the roads in the United Arab Emirates.
Following a statement made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, the China-based company will be permitted to test its cars in the nation.
WeRide already has a footprint in the nation; in 2022, it contributed crucial hardware and software to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s phase 1 trial of a self-driving taxi service.
Al-Maktoum posted a message on Twitter announcing the license’s issuance, saying: “Today in the Council of Ministers we approved the national policy for electric vehicles, which includes setting up a national network for electric vehicle chargers, regulating the electric vehicle market, and stimulating related industries to ensure reduced emissions, energy consumption, and the preservation of the high standard of roads that the UAE enjoys.”
“The first national licence for autonomous cars to operate on the nation’s roads was also authorised today in the Council of Ministers and was given to the specialist WeRide firm,” he added.
It is to be noted here that, as a part of the government’s initiatives to promote and advance progressive transportation systems in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services of the Kingdom started testing self-driving electric vehicles in April.
