- Apollo Go has been granted Dubai‘s very first autonomous driving trial permit, along with the first batch of 50 autonomous driving test licenses.
- With this first batch of licenses, Apollo Go’s 50-vehicle fleet has been conducting open-road testing in designated areas in Dubai since August. At the 4th Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, Apollo Go is the sole platform running trials on open roads with its sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6).
- Apollo Go and the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai plan to expand the fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles over the next three years.
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go, has been granted Dubai‘s very first autonomous driving trial permit, along with the first batch of 50 autonomous driving test licenses issued by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai.
Apollo Go’s sixth-generation autonomous vehicle (RT6) in urban Dubai
The trial permit and 50 licenses were granted to the company earlier in July, authorizing Apollo Go to deploy its vehicles in urban Dubai. Following the permit, Apollo Go’s 50-vehicle fleet has commenced trials in designated areas on open roads of Dubai since August. The announcement was made at the 4th Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, where Apollo Go is the sole platform permitted to run self-driving trials on open roads, providing exclusive trial rides in its sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6).
“We are honored to bring this new dimension to Dubai‘s public transportation ecosystem, following our partnership with the RTA in March,” said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA, Baidu Apollo. “Leveraging our autonomous driving technologies and fleet operation expertise, we will conduct all required testing and operations to enable seamless localization. Together with the RTA, we aim to co-build a global benchmark for intelligent transportation and contribute to solidifying Dubai‘s position as a world-leading autonomous city.”
This permit represents a historic moment — signifying Apollo Go’s position as the first platform allowed to operate a sizable fleet in urban Dubai. This rapid execution follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Apollo Go and the RTA earlier this year, demonstrating timely, on-plan implementation in Apollo Go’s global expansion and further solidifying its leadership in autonomous driving ride-hailing services worldwide.
Looking ahead, Apollo Go and the RTA plan to expand the fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles by 2028, aligning with Dubai‘s vision to accelerate the adoption of autonomous mobility in future urban infrastructure.
This first batch of licenses from Dubai marks the latest milestone in Apollo Go’s global expansion. In November 2024, Apollo Go was also granted the very first autonomous driving test license in Hong Kong, its debut in a right-hand-drive market.
Baidu’s Apollo Go brings unparalleled operational expertise and advanced autonomous driving technology to the partnership, with a record of 200 million kilometers of safe driving, 14 million autonomous rides provided to the public, and 100% fully driverless urban deployment in China. As Apollo Go continues to scale internationally, the company remains committed to delivering safe, green, and intelligent mobility services in collaboration with global partners to drive the future of urban transportation.
About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.
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Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, RTA, with Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA, Baidu Apollo
