Self-driving taxis to hit Dubai roads this year under China tech partnership

Fifty cutting-edge vehicles will be trialled in the coming months ahead of full launch in 2026

Fifty Apollo Go self-driving taxis will be tested in Dubai this year before a full launch next year. Photo: Dubai Media Office / X

A fleet of 'latest generation' self-driving taxis will hit the roads of Dubai this year, ahead of the full launch of operations in 2026.

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has joined forces with China's Baidu in a major transport partnership that will see 1,000 of the company's autonomous vehicles on the move in the emirate by 2028.

Dubai will trial 50 of the cutting-edge cars – operated under Baidu's ride-hailing service Apollo Go – in the coming months for data collection and testing to be conducted.

This will pave the way for an official launch of the service next year, marking a significant step forward in Dubai's goal to have 25 per cent of all journeys in Dubai to be made autonomously by 2030.

"Baidu’s Apollo Go will deploy the sixth, also the latest generation, of its autonomous taxis RT6, specifically designed for autonomous mobility services," Dubai Media Office said on social media platform X.

"The data collection and testing phase will commence with 50 vehicles in the coming months, gradually expanding to 1,000 autonomous taxis over the next three years."

Gearing up for the future

The UAE aims to become a leader in smart mobility systems to boost sustainability and adopt the latest technologies. Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October 2023 after the US self-driving tech company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors and Honda Motor, was issued with a trial permit.

In Abu Dhabi, Uber and China's WeRide launched the Middle East's first commercial driverless mobility service in December. The UAE capital already has its own fleet of driverless taxis on Yas Island run by TXAI, the UAE's first driverless taxi service.

In addition, electric air taxis are expected to begin operating in Dubai during the first quarter of 2026, the RTA confirmed in September.

On Friday, The National revealed talks are under way to begin manufacturing a revolutionary “flying car” in Sharjah, a project that centres on a vehicle that can function on the road and in the air.

Developed by Dutch company PAL-V, it was shown at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park this week as Robert Dingemanse, the company's chief executive and co-founder, spoke of the vehicle's potential.

PAL-V describes its creation as a “fly-drive” vehicle, or an advanced air mobility solution.

The EU Aviation Safety Agency has formally issued a “no technical objection” certificate for the vehicle, called the PAL-V Liberty, a hybrid of a three-wheeled car and a gyroplane.