Uber and Baidu start driverless taxi service in Dubai

Uber has begun offering Baidu's driverless taxi service, known as Apollo Go, in Dubai. The company plans to deploy thousands of these autonomous vehicles across the emirate, starting with the Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim areas before expanding further. This marks the first time Uber's multi-partner vision for autonomous mobility comes to life on public roads in Dubai, as declared by Sarfraz Maredia, head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber.

Apollo Go will be accessible through UberX or Uber Comfort, or by selecting the autonomous option on the Uber app. The partnership between Uber and Baidu in Dubai reflects the UAE's growing emphasis on self-driving services as it strives for smart mobility. Both companies have been actively developing autonomous technology and have been racing to bring their vehicles onto roads.

Uber's acquisition of Careem in 2020 and Baidu's activities in the UAE have contributed to this collaborative effort. Baidu's Apollo Go service has partnered with Dubai Taxi Company to deploy over 1,000 driverless cabs in Dubai, and received Dubai's first testing permit for fully autonomous vehicles in January 2024. Apollo Go is currently operating in 28 cities worldwide.

Dubai's initiative to make autonomous fleets more identifiable through dedicated license plates further underscores the city's commitment to advancing autonomous mobility.