Baidu is in discussions with the UAE government to introduce its Apollo Go autonomous taxi service, with testing in Dubai expected to begin in the first half of this year.
At the 2025 World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai, Baidu’s founder, chairman, and CEO, Robin Li, had a high-profile discussion with Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of AI. The conversation attracted significant media attention.
The minister expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We look forward to having a fleet entirely composed of Apollo Go autonomous vehicles at next year’s summit.”
Robin Li responded, “Technology is evolving rapidly. Autonomous driving is already ten times safer than human drivers, and Robotaxis can play a key role in reducing traffic fatalities.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, Apollo Go is expanding internationally, with plans for road testing in Dubai as early as this year. The company is also eyeing markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the broader Middle East.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Baidu is actively negotiating with UAE authorities to bring its autonomous taxi service to the region. Job listings suggest that Apollo Go is strengthening its teams in key cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, as well as in Southeast Asia.
Reports from Hong Kong media indicate that the UAE will be Apollo Go’s second international expansion destination. With this move, Baidu aims to accelerate its global rollout and establish a strong presence in the growing Robotaxi market.
About Apollo Go
Launched in August 2021, Apollo Go is Baidu’s autonomous driving service platform. By June 2024, it aims to offer fully autonomous rides in Wuhan, China. As of July 2024, it operates in 12 Chinese cities and has completed over 7 million trips.
Additionally, Apollo Go’s sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, the RT6, has begun large-scale, fully autonomous road testing.
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