Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Apollo Go, the autonomous ride-hailing service of Chinese tech giant Baidu, to launch large-scale autonomous taxi services across the emirate.
The agreement signals a major step forward in Dubai’s smart mobility strategy, with the trial phase set to begin in the coming months. Apollo Go will initially deploy 50 of its latest-generation RT6 autonomous vehicles for data collection and testing, ahead of a public rollout of 1,000 vehicles by 2026.
The MoU was signed in a ceremony attended by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the RTA, and Halton Niu, General Manager of Overseas Business at Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group. Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, signed on behalf of the RTA, while Liang Zhang, General Manager of Overseas Business for the MENA region at Baidu, signed on behalf of Apollo Go.
Apollo Go’s RT6 model, designed specifically for autonomous mobility services, is equipped with 40 sensors and detectors to ensure maximum safety and performance. The vehicle has already seen widespread success and public acclaim in China.
The partnership marks Apollo Go’s first international expansion outside of mainland China and Hong Kong. With more than 150 million kilometres of safe autonomous driving and over 10 million completed trips, Apollo Go is currently the world’s largest operator of autonomous vehicle fleets.
The large-scale deployment of autonomous taxis in Dubai reflects the city’s commitment to innovation and sustainable urban mobility, aligning with its vision to become a global leader in smart transportation solutions.
