Key Points
- Baidu will launch its fully driverless robotaxi service in Dubai. The service is set to begin in the first quarter of next year.
- The company plans to have over 1,000 robotaxis in Dubai by 2028.
- Baidu is already testing 50 cars in the city with human safety drivers.
- Dubai was chosen due to its open policies and excellent transportation infrastructure.
Chinese tech giant Baidu is bringing its fully driverless robotaxi service to Dubai, with plans to begin operations in the first quarter of next year. The move marks a major international expansion for the company’s autonomous vehicle program, Apollo Go.
A Baidu executive announced the plan on Thursday, stating that the company has reached an agreement with Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority. The goal is to have over 1,000 robotaxis on Dubai’s roads by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Baidu is already on the ground in Dubai, testing a fleet of 50 robotaxis in designated areas. For now, these tests still require a human safety driver behind the wheel, but the company is moving quickly toward full autonomy.
Why Dubai? According to the company, the Middle East is “relatively open” to new technology, and Dubai’s strong demand for transportation and excellent infrastructure make it an ideal market. “We will likely take the Middle East as a key region for commercialization and scaling up fleet size,” said Liang Zhang, a managing director at Apollo Go.
With this expansion, Baidu aims to replicate the success it has already achieved in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where it operates a large-scale autonomous taxi service. This move to Dubai is a significant step in Baidu’s ambition to become a global leader in autonomous driving technology.
