Nov 26 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies ( UBER ) rolled out

driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Chinese

autonomous-driving firm WeRide ( WRD ) on Wednesday, following

the tie-up they announced last year.

Uber said Abu Dhabi is the first city outside the U.S. to

host fully driverless operations on its platform. Passengers who

book an UberX or Uber Comfort ride can be matched with a WeRide ( WRD )

robotaxi, according to the ride-hailing company.

The companies plan to expand coverage to areas beyond Abu

Dhabi city core by the end of this year. The Guangzhou-based

WeRide ( WRD ) currently operates over 100 robotaxis in the Middle East,

Uber said.