Baidu to Launch Driverless Robotaxis in Dubai by 2026

Dubai – Chinese tech giant Baidu plans to start operating fully driverless robotaxis in Dubai by the first quarter of 2026, aiming to replicate its success in Wuhan, China. The announcement came after an agreement with Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

Liang Zhang, managing director of EMEA at Baidu’s Apollo Go, said on Thursday, “We hope to reach fully driverless commercialization to the public by the first quarter of next year.”

Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous taxi division, targets deploying over 1,000 robotaxis on Dubai’s roads by the end of 2027 or early 2028. The company has already begun testing 50 robotaxis in designated areas under permits that require a human safety officer in the vehicle.

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Zhang highlighted Dubai’s strong demand for transport services and robust infrastructure as key factors for its selection. “The policy in the Middle East is relatively open. The region is also quite open for new technology so we will likely take the Middle East as a key region for commercialization and scaling up fleet size,” he said.

Baidu currently operates more than 1,000 robotaxis globally and claims to have reached single-unit profitability in Wuhan, where every additional vehicle contributes to profit.

The Middle East has become a growing market for Chinese robotaxi operators, including Pony AI, WeRide, and Apollo Go, due to supportive government policies. Baidu has partnered with Autogo for operations in Abu Dhabi, while Pony AI and WeRide have collaborated with Uber in Dubai.

In addition to the Middle East, Apollo Go is expanding into Europe, having signed a partnership with Lyft in August. The company plans to launch robotaxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom first.

Baidu’s expansion marks a significant step in autonomous transport technology, as Dubai positions itself as a key hub for driverless mobility in the Middle East.