Dubai Taxi Company and Baidu’s Apollo Go have launched fully driverless commercial ride-hailing services in Dubai, marking Apollo Go’s first international app deployment and a landmark moment for autonomous mobility in the region.
DUBAI: The future of getting around Dubai just arrived, and it does not have a driver. Dubai Taxi Company and Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go have officially launched fully driverless commercial taxi services in the emirate, in a milestone that places Dubai at the very forefront of autonomous mobility globally.
Residents and visitors can now book a driverless ride directly through the Apollo Go app, available on both the App Store and Google Play Store. The service marks Apollo Go’s first international app deployment, a significant moment for the platform which has completed over 20 million rides worldwide and accumulated more than 300 million autonomous kilometres, including over 190 million kilometres of fully driverless operations.
The commercial rollout begins with 50 vehicles in the first year, with a phased expansion plan to grow the fleet to over 1,000 driverless vehicles in the coming years. Booking will also be extended to Bolt and other e-hail providers as the service scales up across the city.
The launch is directly aligned with Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which targets transforming 25 per cent of all transportation trips in the emirate into smart and driverless journeys by 2030. With Dubai Taxi Company’s fleet of over 6,000 taxis and limousines and more than three decades of operational experience behind it, the infrastructure to scale this ambition is already in place.
Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, Group CEO of Dubai Taxi Company, called it a significant milestone in advancing Dubai’s vision for smart and sustainable mobility. “The successful trials conducted over the past few months have demonstrated the vehicles’ readiness, particularly in terms of safety, reliability and operational efficiency, reinforcing our confidence in scaling this initiative,” he said.
Nan Yang, Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of Overseas Business Unit, described the partnership as a new chapter for autonomous mobility in Dubai. “We are creating a safe, efficient and scalable ride-hailing service that sets a new standard for the region,” he said.
The commercial launch builds on a strong foundation. In January 2026, Apollo Go received Dubai’s first-ever driverless testing permit for fully autonomous vehicles without a safety driver, and inaugurated the Apollo Go Park in Dubai, its first overseas operations and management hub.
For anyone who has ever wondered what it feels like to sit in a taxi with no one at the wheel, Dubai just made it as simple as opening an app.
