A new fleet of self-driving taxis will begin operating in Dubai later this year, with full deployment planned for 2026.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has partnered with Chinese tech firm Baidu to introduce 1,000 autonomous vehicles to the city by 2028. The initiative supports Dubai’s goal of making 25% of all city journeys autonomous by 2030.

In the coming months, 50 vehicles from Baidu’s Apollo Go ride-hailing service will be tested on Dubai’s roads to collect data and assess system performance.

Autonomous mobility is becoming a reality.
RTA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go, a global leader in autonomous transport solutions, to roll out autonomous taxis on a large scale across the emirate. The company will…

— RTA (@rta_dubai) April 20, 2025

“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 announced on the 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.”

The UAE continues to advance smart mobility initiatives to support sustainability and innovation. In October 2023, Dubai began supervised trials of driverless vehicles after U.S.-based Cruise, backed by General Motors and Honda, received a trial permit.

Autonomous mobility is becoming a reality.
RTA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go, a global leader in autonomous transport solutions, to roll out autonomous taxis on a large scale across the emirate. The company will…

— RTA (@rta_dubai) April 20, 2025

In December, Uber and Chinese firm WeRide launched the region’s first commercial driverless taxi service in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, TXAI, the UAE’s first autonomous taxi operator, already operates services on Yas Island.

Electric air taxis are also expected to begin operating in Dubai in early 2026, according to the RTA.

Meanwhile, in Sharjah, discussions are underway to begin production of a “flying car” developed by Dutch company PAL-V. The vehicle, called the PAL-V Liberty, can both drive on roads and fly, and recently received a “no technical objection” certificate from the EU Aviation Safety Agency.