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Chinese robotaxi companies forge ahead with UAE expansion despite Iran war

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WeRide doubles down on the Middle East: Robotaxis roll out in Dubai

Uber and WeRide are partnering to offer robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi.

Courtesy Uber Technologies, Inc.

BEIJING — At least three Chinese robotaxi companies are pressing ahead with expansion plans in the Middle East despite the ongoing Iran war.

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Ride-hailing company Didi plans to begin its first overseas robotaxi test in the United Arab Emirates later this year, according to a statement Wednesday.

Zhang Bo, co-founder of Didi and head of its autonomous driving business, disclosed the plans at a UAE-China business cooperation forum in Beijing earlier this week, according to the statement. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday as part of a three-day state visit.

Didi’s UAE testing plan follows a broader push by Chinese autonomous driving companies in the region.

Guangzhou-based WeRide said earlier this month it had launched fully driverless, fare-charging robotaxi service in Dubai’s Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim districts. Riders can book a robotaxi through Uber‘s app.

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Pony.ai is also pursuing commercial operations in the emirate. In late March, Pony.ai CEO James Peng said in response to a CNBC question that the war had not affected its application for a commercial license in Dubai and that he viewed the conflict as short term.

The Chinese robotaxi company said in September that it received permission from Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to test autonomous driving locally.

WeRide doubles down on the Middle East: Robotaxis roll out in Dubai

Baidu‘s robotaxi unit Apollo Go also announced on April 1 that residents and visitors in Dubai could start hailing fully driverless rides through its app. It was not immediately clear whether there were restricted areas of operation.

Dubai’s media office said in a social media post that the rollout would start with 50 vehicles, with plans for over 1,000 robotaxis over the next few years.

Chinese robotaxi companies have ramped up their global expansion plans in the last two years, with the Middle East emerging as an early launch market, followed by tests in Europe. Meanwhile, Alphabet-backed Waymo has rolled out fleets across more of the U.S. and has begun tests in London and Japan.

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Crypto World

Stablecoins Do Not Threaten Banking Just Yet: Analyst

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Stablecoins Do Not Threaten Banking Just Yet: Analyst

The impact of stablecoins on the banking sector appears “limited” at the current phase of the adoption cycle, but banks could face increasing competition and an erosion of market share as the stablecoin sector and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) grow in market capitalization. 

“So far, the use of stablecoins remains limited, but their market capitalization exceeded $300 billion at the end of last year,” Abhi Srivastava, associate vice president of Moody’s Investors Service Digital Economy Group, told Cointelegraph.

The stablecoin market cap has surged past $300 billion. Source: RWA.xyz

The role of stablecoins in payments, cross-border commerce and onchain finance is “expanding,” despite their currently limited role, Srivastava said, adding that existing payment systems in the US are already “fast, low-cost and trusted.” He said:

“For the banking sector, at this stage, disruption risk appears limited. In the near term, US rules that prohibit stablecoins from paying yield mean they are unlikely to replace traditional deposits at scale domestically.”

However, over time, growing adoption of stablecoins and tokenized RWAs, traditional or physical financial assets represented on a blockchain by a token, could place “pressure” on the banking sector, leading to deposit outflows and reduced lending capacity, he said.

Stablecoin regulatory policy has become a hot-button issue among crypto industry executives and those in the banking sector, with fears that yield-bearing stablecoins could erode banking market share proving to be a stumbling block for the CLARITY crypto market structure bill in Congress. 

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Related: Stablecoins behave like FX markets as liquidity splits: Eco CEO

CLARITY Act stalled, as banks fight yield-bearing stablecoins

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, also known as the CLARITY Act, is a comprehensive crypto market regulatory framework that establishes an asset taxonomy, regulatory jurisdiction and oversight over the crypto markets.

The CLARITY crypto market structure bill. Source: US Congress

It is now stalled in Congress after a group of crypto industry companies, led by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, publicly stated opposition to earlier drafts of the bill.

A lack of legal protections for open-source software developers and a prohibition on yield-bearing stablecoins were among some of the most contentious issues cited by crypto industry opponents of the legislation.

Several attempts have been made by US lawmakers and the White House to negotiate a bill acceptable to both the crypto industry and the bank lobby.

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Earlier this month, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said he plans to release an updated draft bill proposal that would be acceptable to both sides; however, the bill has reportedly received pushback, according to Politico, and has yet to be publicly released. 

However, other crypto industry executives and market analysts have warned that if the CLARITY Act fails to pass, it could open the crypto industry up to future regulatory crackdowns by hostile lawmakers and officials.

Magazine: Stablecoins will see explosive growth in 2025 as world embraces asset class