Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is quickly positioning itself as a key battleground in the global race for autonomous mobility, with Tesla and Uber both announcing plans to introduce driverless vehicles in the Kingdom within the next two years.
At the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company plans to bring its fully autonomous ‘Cybercab’ to Saudi Arabia ahead of its global launch expected before 2027.
Musk described the upcoming two-seater electric vehicle as a ‘robot on wheels’, featuring no steering wheel or pedals and said he believes Saudi Arabia is well-suited for early adoption of driverless technology.
“You can think of future cars as being robots on four wheels. I think it would be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the Kingdom if you’re amenable,” Musk told the audience.
Tesla’s Cybercab will be powered by the company’s proprietary Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, using vision-based artificial intelligence to navigate without human input. Meanwhile, Uber is ramping up its efforts in the Kingdom through a partnership with Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai.
H.E. @aalswaha and @elonmusk explore what it takes to build an intelligent future, enabled by Saudi Arabia’s partnerships with Tesla, Starlink, The Boring Company, and xAI.#SaudiUSForum2025 pic.twitter.com/HUZ5aYcHiW
— وزارة الاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات (@McitGovSa) May 13, 2025
Uber announced that its regional platform Careem will begin deploying robotaxis in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2025. These vehicles will incorporate Pony.ai’s full suite of self-driving technologies, including LIDAR, radar, and computer vision systems.
The initiative is being backed by a $100 million investment from Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, which aims to develop the infrastructure and research capabilities needed to support autonomous driving across the country.
Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA) confirmed that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Uber to establish a framework for launching autonomous vehicles.
Careem, which is already the dominant ride-hailing app in the Middle East, is expected to play a major role in the integration of autonomous vehicles across the region.
The developments mark a significant shift in Saudi Arabia’s economic direction, aligning with its Vision 2030 plan to reduce dependence on oil by investing in emerging technologies and innovation-driven sectors.
