Chinese autonomous driving technology company WeRide has received Saudi Arabia's first autonomous driving licence for its Robotaxi service.

The licence grants WeRide authority to operate autonomous vehicles throughout Saudi Arabia, with the pilot phase already launched in Riyadh in partnership with Uber and local technology firm AiDriver.

WeRide becomes the only company globally to hold autonomous vehicle licences across six countries: Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE, Singapore, France and the United States, Gasgoo reported on July 29.

The pilot programme covers key Riyadh locations including King Khalid International Airport, major highways and designated downtown areas. Full-scale commercial Robotaxi operations are scheduled to launch by the end of 2025.

The Transport General Authority granted official licence approval during Saudi Arabia's inaugural Robotaxi pilot launch event last week, signalling approval for commercial autonomous mobility services in the kingdom.

WeRide said it is the first autonomous driving company whose Robotaxi passed through the regulatory sandbox programme overseen by Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority, requiring extensive government agency vetting including testing, evaluation and technology validation.

The company entered the Saudi market formally in May, deploying Robotaxi services alongside Robobus operations at several locations including King Fahd Medical City, the Aramco residential compound, AlUla and the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh.

WeRide's autonomous street-sweeping vehicle S1 operates at King Fahd Medical City and the Riyadh Second Health Cluster, marking the Middle East's first commercial deployment of autonomous sanitation services.