Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced today that it has expanded its global partnerships with leading autonomous driving technology providers to deploy driverless taxis in Dubai.
The collaboration includes a strategic partnership with Uber Technologies and WeRide, who will launch autonomous taxis in Dubai through the Uber platform. The RTA is also partnering with China’s Baidu through its autonomous mobility arm, Apollo Go—one of the world’s foremost providers of self-driving solutions and autonomous ride-hailing services.
This initiative is part of RTA’s broader strategy to establish Dubai as a global pioneer in autonomous mobility and support its vision to become the smartest city and the best place to live and work worldwide.
“These two partnerships with Uber, starting with WeRide as the technology partner and Baidu (Apollo Go) represent a crucial step in advancing Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to transform 25 percent of all journeys in the city into autonomous trips across various transport modes by 2030,” stated Mattar Al Tayer, director general, chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA.
Autonomous taxis to improve road safety
Al Tayer expressed his satisfaction with both companies selecting Dubai as the international hub for expanding their autonomous taxi operations beyond their home markets. He stated, “The deployment of autonomous taxis will support the integration of transport systems by enhancing first and last-mile connectivity for public transport users. This aligns with the First and Last-Mile Strategy adopted by RTA last year, which aims to facilitate passenger movement between their point of origin or destination and the nearest public transport station.”
Al Tayer added that autonomous vehicles also contribute to improved road safety, as human error is responsible for over 90 percent of traffic accidents. Moreover, they serve a wide segment of the community—particularly senior citizens, residents and people of determination.
“Uber, starting with WeRide, and Baidu through Apollo Go will commence trials of autonomous taxis in Dubai this year, with a safety driver seated behind the wheel, in preparation for the driverless commercial launch in 2026,” he added.
The broader rollout of autonomous taxis will mark a transformative shift in Dubai’s transport landscape and further strengthen RTA’s efforts to enhance network integration by facilitating smoother mobility for public transport users.
Apollo Go’s biggest international expansion beyond China
Dr. Wang Yunpeng, Baidu corporate vice president, president of Baidu Intelligent Driving Group, explained that the partnership with Dubai’s RTA marks Apollo Go’s biggest international expansion beyond China thus far. It also highlights Dubai’s commitment to positioning itself as a global hub for innovation in future mobility.
“We are committed to delivering safe, sustainable and efficient services to more regions, working alongside local partners to provide meaningful transport solutions that benefit broader communities around the world,” he said.
To date, Apollo Go has recorded over 150 million kilometers of safe autonomous driving, supporting the large-scale deployment of autonomous taxi services across more than 10 Chinese cities. Since February 2025, Apollo Go has commenced fully driverless operations across China and has completed more than 10 million autonomous rides lately, making it the world’s largest operator of driverless fleets. Its sixth-generation robotaxi RT6, purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing, has been widely welcomed and well-received by passengers.
“Dubai marks a natural step forward in our commitment to advancing mobility in the Middle East as well as our continued global expansion. We believe our advanced autonomous driving technology and operational experience combined with Uber’s powerful global mobility platform will help us serve millions of consumers in cities around the world,” added Jennifer Li, chief financial officer and head of international business at WeRide.
