Uber Adds Baidu Apollo Go Robotaxis to Dubai Network
The National reported that Uber has started offering Baidu Apollo Go driverless taxis in Dubai, beginning in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim with the RT6 robotaxi.
Uber has added Baidu's Apollo Go driverless taxis to its Dubai network, The National reported, starting with Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim as the first operating areas for the RT6 robotaxi.
The launch gives riders two routes into the service.
An Uber trip can match passengers with an Apollo Go car through UberX or Uber Comfort, while a separate autonomous option lets customers choose the driverless service directly inside the app.
That structure keeps the robotaxi product inside Uber's standard booking flow while still marking it as a distinct autonomous ride.
Uber framed the Dubai deployment as the first public-road test of a multi-partner autonomous strategy.
Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said the launch combines Baidu's technology with Uber's marketplace as the company expands autonomous mobility globally.
The Dubai service follows Uber's driverless partnership with WeRide in Abu Dhabi, which began in 2024 as Uber's first international driverless service launch.
The company also has a WeRide partnership for robotaxis in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, giving the UAE two Chinese autonomous-vehicle partners inside Uber's regional mobility network.
Baidu's local plan is larger than the first operating zones.
The Dubai Taxi Company agreement covers a planned fleet of more than 1,000 driverless cabs.
A January permit also cleared fully autonomous testing in Dubai without a safety driver.
The UAE rollout now spans both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
In March, Apollo Go added a partnership with K2 for selected Abu Dhabi robotaxi routes, and the service is present in 28 cities globally.
Dubai is also making the vehicles easier to identify by issuing dedicated licence plates for autonomous fleets.
Uber's autonomous push sits alongside other regional platform moves, including its $3.1 billion purchase of Careem in 2020 and its July acquisition of Delivery Hero, the owner of Talabat, in a $14.8 billion deal.
The Apollo Go deployment therefore adds a driverless-ride layer to a UAE mobility market where Uber already operates ride-hailing, delivery exposure and multiple autonomous-vehicle partnerships.
Baidu vice president Nan Yang described Dubai as Apollo Go's first international city with both self-run and partner-backed autonomous ride-hailing models in operation.
