Saudi self-driving taxi rules: 5-vehicle minimum and a supervisor per car; TGA says 7,300 Riyadh riders
Saudi Arabia's Transport General Authority told Al Arabiya on November 8 that eight self-driving vehicles in Riyadh have carried more than 7,300 passengers on more than 3,600 trips since launch. TGA said it plans to expand to Jeddah and Dammam and to activate a Hayat Mall to Riyadh Gallery route, which SPA reported it launched in March 2026 after more than 3,000 passengers.
Rules for paid self-driving passenger service, published in Umm Al-Qura on November 6, take effect January 6, 2027. Providers need at least five vehicles, owned or lease-financed, a safety supervisor for each car (onboard or remote) and a defined area. Licenses last three years inside that area. A 180-day provisional license allows setup only, with no riders.
Servospace take: five cars, a supervisor per vehicle and a three-year area license set the cost floor. Eight cars and about two riders per trip remain a small trial.
Why it matters
The licensing rules set the cost of entry. Providers need at least five vehicles, owned or lease-financed; a safety supervisor on every car who can take control from inside or remotely; SASO approval; a mapped area; and a three-year license for that area. Supervisors need a driver's license, a certificate of good conduct and a one-year Professional Safety Supervisor card. After a trial, providers may ask TGA to drop the onboard supervisor. Vehicles need annual permits, passenger insurance and a 10-year cap from year of manufacture. Operators must halt and notify TGA after safety faults, accidents, cyberattacks or recalls.
That is a labor and fleet-cost floor, not a fully driverless taxi franchise. Eight cars and about two riders per trip remain a small supervised trial, larger than the 3,000 passengers SPA reported in March 2026. Official photographs show TGA markings next to WeRide and Uber logos; TGA's November 8 remarks did not name the operator. TGA also told Al Arabiya that companies it named as Nero and Ninja have begun autonomous goods delivery in Riyadh's Al Falah district; Nero is a Saudi startup, not the U.S. firm Nuro. Watch whether Jeddah and Dammam get named operators after January 6, 2027.
More on Uber and robotaxis and self-driving vehicles.
Sources
- Al Arabiya (Nov. 8, 2026): After 7,300 passengers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia plans to expand self-driving vehicles to Jeddah and Dammam (TGA exclusive)
- Ajel News English (Nov. 6, 2026): Saudi Arabia sets regulations for self-driving taxi operations
- Executive Regulation for the Activity of Passenger Transport by Self-Driving Vehicles, published in Umm Al-Qura issue 5193 (Nov. 6, 2026), via DecreeSA
- Transport General Authority Decision 1/10/2026/4 (issued Oct. 28, 2026; published Umm Al-Qura 5193 on Nov. 6, 2026), via DecreeSA
- Sabq English (Nov. 6, 2026): Saudi Transport Authority Approves Executive Regulations for Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Transport
- Al Arabiya (Nov. 6, 2026): Saudi Arabia adopts the executive regulation for passenger transport by self-driving vehicles (citing SPA)
- Al Watan (Nov. 6, 2026): Five vehicles is the minimum to start self-driving passenger transport in the Kingdom
- Arab News citing SPA (March 30, 2026): New autonomous vehicles route launched in Riyadh (Hayat Mall to Riyadh Gallery; earlier ridership)
- Arab Founders: Nero, a Saudi startup, receives a permit for autonomous delivery vehicles in Riyadh public neighborhoods, starting in Al Falah
New to robots? Read our guide: How robotaxis work: Tesla vs Waymo, explained.
Summarized by Servospace from the sources above, drafted with AI help and checked against those sources before publishing. Claims are the companies' or outlets' unless we say otherwise. How we work.