On May 27, chinese autonomous driving mobility service provider Pony.ai announced a strategic partnership with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch a Robotaxi fleet in the region.
According to the plan, the partnership will be implemented in phases: test operations will start in 2025, followed by full autonomous commercial operations in 2026, with seamless integration into Dubai's multi-modal transportation network, including the metro, trams, and maritime routes.
Following the global strategic partnership with Uber, this Dubai project will serve as another key pillar of Pony.ai's Middle East strategy. The plan is for Pony.ai to expand the Robotaxi fleet to thousands of vehicles within the next two years.
Currently, Pony.ai is actively expanding globally and has obtained autonomous driving testing and operational licenses in various countries. In October 2023, Pony.ai partnered with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and joined the Abu Dhabi Smart Vehicle Industry Cluster (SAVI); in the same month, it secured USD 100 million in investment from Saudi Arabia's New Future City and will establish a joint venture. In March 2024, Pony.ai signed a memorandum of understanding for autonomous driving cooperation with Luxembourg and advanced its autonomous driving expansion in South Korea through a partnership with GemVaxLink. In October 2024, Pony.ai established a European R&D center in Luxembourg and signed an MOU with Luxembourg mobility company Emile Weber. In April 2025, Pony.ai received the first Robotaxi testing license issued by Luxembourg's Ministry of Mobility and Public Works.
In addition to Pony.ai, more Chinese autonomous driving companies are accelerating their expansion in the Middle East. On the 27th, WeRide announced its market expansion strategy in Saudi Arabia, and one week prior, it revealed plans to start pure autonomous Robotaxi trial operations in Abu Dhabi, creating the first pure autonomous Robotaxi fleet in the Middle East. By the end of March this year, Apollo Go had expanded into Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The primary reasons for Chinese autonomous driving companies choosing the Middle East as a key overseas market include policy incentives, capital support, and the absence of significant trade disputes. In terms of policy, Middle Eastern countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are striving to reduce their dependence on oil and are actively developing digital economies and green technologies. Autonomous driving, as a cutting-edge technology, aligns with their economic transformation goals. Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" and the UAE's "D33 Economic Plan," as well as the UAE's goal of achieving 25% autonomous mobility by 2030, all contribute to favorable conditions for Chinese autonomous driving companies in the region. Additionally, various governments are offering targeted subsidies to support business development.
Regarding capital support, the Middle East region has shown a strong preference for Chinese intelligent driving companies. Pony.ai, WeRide, and Hyperview have all received investment from Middle Eastern investors, such as the China-UAE Joint Investment Fund and Saudi Aramco's VC arm, Prosperity7 Ventures. Furthermore, China maintains relatively friendly trade relations with the Middle East, with minimal negative impact from geopolitical factors.