Baidu's self-driving Apollo Go lands in Dubai, deploying 50 RT6 taxis this year.
On April 20, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Baidu Apollo, marking the first commercial deployment of Chinese autonomous driving technology in the Middle East.
The pilot program, set to launch in 2025, will introduce 50 sixth-generation autonomous taxis (RT6) for testing, with full-scale operations beginning in 2026 and fleet expansion to 1,000 vehicles within three years. The trial will be conducted in phases, starting with controlled zones to assess vehicle performance and reliability before gradually expanding coverage. The L4-capable RT6, equipped to handle Dubai's extreme heat and sandstorms, has already undergone over 1 million kilometers of road tests in Chinese cities like Wuhan and Chongqing. This deployment marks its first 24-hour operation outside mainland China and Hong Kong, with initial routes covering key areas such as Dubai International Financial Centre and Burj Khalifa. Services will begin with fixed-route pickups before rolling out on-demand bookings.
In preparation, Baidu partnered with UAE-based Autogo in March to launch autonomous taxis in Abu Dhabi by 2026. Localization efforts include Arabic voice interface optimization, algorithm upgrades for traditional Middle Eastern attire recognition, and compliance integration with Dubai's smart traffic control center.
The UAE's "2030 National AI Strategy" aims for 25% of transport to be autonomous. Abu Dhabi's Smart Driving Vehicle Industrial Cluster, established in 2023, has attracted Chinese firms like Pony.ai, WeRide, and NETA Auto for testing on Yas Island.