Chinese AV Operators in Global Markets — Pony.ai Singapore, WeRide/Uber Gulf, Dubai Framework

Headline Finding

Chinese AV operators Pony.ai and WeRide are executing multi-market international deployments beyond China, with Pony.ai now operating in Singapore (partnership with ComfortDelGro), South Korea, Qatar, and Luxembourg, and WeRide partnering with Uber for commercial robotaxi services in Abu Dhabi (live) and Dubai (trial in 2025, commercial target 2026). Dubai has simultaneously established a dedicated autonomous vehicle licensing framework (Administrative Decision No. 939 of 2025). These developments mark the first sustained commercial AV operations outside China and the US by non-Western operators.

Detail

Pony.ai international operations:

• Hong Kong IPO completed November 2025, raising $859 million (US listing preceded this in late 2024)
• Singapore: partnership with ComfortDelGro for AV deployment — ComfortDelGro is Singapore’s largest taxi operator, making this a direct incumbent transport integration, not a greenfield startup
• Additional active markets: South Korea, Qatar, Luxembourg
• Dubai: Pony.ai planning commercial driverless services in Dubai’s public transport system by 2026, targeting 1,000 vehicles by 2028
• Cornerstone investors committed ~$120 million to international expansion tranche of Pony.ai IPO

WeRide international operations:

• Hong Kong IPO November 2025, raising $306 million
• Abu Dhabi: commercial robotaxi services operating via Uber partnership (live as of 2025)
• Dubai: trial operations in 2025, commercial services targeted for 2026
• Southeast Asia: Grab investment in WeRide announced August 2025 to deploy L4 robotaxis across Southeast Asia; finalisation expected mid-2026

Dubai regulatory framework:

• Dubai Law No. 9 of 2023 (Regulating the Operation of Autonomous Vehicles) operationalised via Administrative Decision No. 939 of 2025
• Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has established licensing and testing requirements for AV operators
• Dubai’s 2030 strategy includes autonomous air taxis, self-driving buses, and autonomous ferries alongside robotaxis
• Fully driverless service rollout targeted for early 2026

Singapore regulatory framework:

• Singapore LTA targets 100–150 Level 4 AVs deployed by 2026 with island-wide expansion over five years
• First self-driving shuttle in Punggol residential area launched September 2025, expected public opening Q2 2026
• January 2025: tender for six 16-seater electric autonomous buses, operations scheduled mid-2026
• CETRAN (Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research of AVs) manages mandatory safety assessments

Governance Implication

Two major implications for the paper:

1. Chinese operators are now the global deployment leaders by city count: Pony.ai and WeRide together operate or are commercially launching in more cities than any single Western operator except Waymo. The paper’s global landscape chapter (Ch2) needs to reflect this — the competitive dynamics between US, European, and Chinese operators are a governance factor, as cities choosing to licence one operator ecosystem over another are making geopolitical as well as transport decisions.

2. Gulf and Singapore are distinct governance models: Dubai’s framework (national licensing under RTA authority) and Singapore’s framework (LTA safety certification, island-wide planning integration) represent credible non-US, non-EU governance approaches. The paper should consider whether either offers a transferable model for other cities — particularly the Singapore model, which integrates AV deployment into the public transport planning process from the outset.

Sources

• “Pony AI Enters the Singapore Market With Robotaxi Services,” Yahoo Finance, 2026
• “Chinese self-driving firms WeRide and Pony AI raise another $1B,” Asia Tech Review, 2025
• “Pony AI, WeRide Seek to Raise Combined $1.3 Billion in Hong Kong,” Caixin Global, October 2025
• “Dubai’s Autonomous Vehicle Regulations: New Standards and Licensing Unveiled,” Gulf News, 2026
• “Dubai Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Law and recent regulatory developments,” PwC Middle East, 2026
• “Dubai issues new law to regulate autonomous vehicles,” Norton Rose Fulbright, 2023/2026
• Singapore LTA: Autonomous Vehicles programme page, lta.gov.sg, 2026