Baidu, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc. today announced the extension of their partnership to roll out the Baidu Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service in Dubai.
The project will be implemented in partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and marks the next step in the global partnership announced by the companies earlier. The service is set to go live in the coming month, pending operational and regulatory considerations.
What Is Being Launched in Dubai?
The rollout entails the integration of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on the Uber app. Riders in designated regions of Dubai, including parts of Jumeirah, may be connected to a fully autonomous vehicle when taking UberX or Uber Comfort.
Additionally, riders will also be able to select an “Autonomous” ride on the app.
The fleet management will be handled by New Horizon, which is a third-party operator that will be in charge of managing the daily operations of the vehicles. The expansion of the service area will depend on the regulatory approvals and assessments.
How Does This Relate to Dubai’s Transportation Strategy?
Dubai has a strategic vision to ensure that 25% of all transportation trips in the emirate are autonomous by the year 2030. The deployment of the Apollo Go vehicles will help achieve this vision as it will increase the accessibility of autonomous mobility services in the city.
The RTA has in the past supported the pilot projects and regulatory frameworks for the use of autonomous vehicles.
What Is the Operational Background of Apollo Go?
Apollo Go is the autonomous ride-hailing offering from Baidu, and it is currently available in several cities across the globe. According to the company’s statistics, the autonomous ride-hailing service has registered over 240 million kilometres of autonomous driving, with more than 140 million kilometres driven in fully autonomous mode.
The company states that Apollo Go is currently available in 22 cities across the globe.
As of October 31, 2025, the service has completed over 17 million cumulative rides, with weekly ride volumes exceeding 250,000.
How Will the Service Be Accessible to Riders?
Riders who are within the service area can book a ride using the Uber app. If there is an autonomous car available for the ride, the rider will be able to take the ride without a human driver in the car.
The autonomous option will be visible either as a choice of category or as a vehicle assignment option within the existing categories. The scaling of the service will depend on the availability of vehicles and the performance of the service, as well as regulatory approvals.
Pricing, Availability, and Launch Timeline
The Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service is set to be launched in Dubai in the next month. The service will initially be available in select areas of Jumeirah, with the possibility of expansion to other areas of Dubai in the future.
The pricing of the service has not been mentioned separately and is expected to be in line with the existing UberX or Uber Comfort pricing structure unless otherwise indicated in the app.
