Baidu’s Apollo Go has begun testing autonomous vehicles on Dubai’s streets after receiving the city’s first trial permit and an initial batch of 50 test licenses from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The milestone enables Apollo Go to deploy its autonomous fleet in urban areas, marking a key step in the platform’s global expansion of self-driving ride-hailing services.
The trials, which started in August, involve a fleet of 50 sixth-generation RT6 vehicles operating in designated areas of Dubai. The initiative builds on a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year between Apollo Go and the RTA to integrate autonomous technology into the city’s transportation network. Plans call for expanding the fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles by 2028.
Apollo Go brings operational experience from China, where its platform has completed more than 200 million kilometers of autonomous driving and 14 million driverless rides. The Dubai deployment follows a November 2024 milestone in Hong Kong, where Apollo Go secured the region’s first autonomous driving test license in a right-hand-drive market.
The Dubai trials are being highlighted at the 4th Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, with Apollo Go demonstrating real-world urban operations. The platform’s expansion aligns with Dubai’s broader goal of promoting intelligent mobility solutions and reflects Baidu’s ongoing investment in autonomous vehicle technologies.
Through strategic partnerships like the one with the RTA, Apollo Go aims to scale international operations while maintaining safety standards, contributing to Dubai’s ambition to become a global leader in autonomous transportation.
