Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) announced on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, that its autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go, has received Dubai’s first-ever permit for fully driverless vehicle trials on public roads.
The landmark authorization from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) allows the company to operate its robotaxis without a human safety driver behind the wheel, clearing the path for a commercial launch in the emirate as early as the first quarter of 2026.
In tandem with the permit, Baidu inaugurated the Apollo Go Park in downtown Dubai.
The 2,000-square-meter facility serves as the company’s first overseas operations and management hub, integrating intelligent road infrastructure, charging stations, and a central command center.
This hub will support the ambitious goal shared by Baidu and the RTA to scale the local fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles in the coming years, building on successful preliminary trials involving the company’s sixth-generation RT6 model.
Baidu’s expansion into the Middle East comes as the company reports dominant global operational metrics.
As of October 31, 2025, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, including 140 million kilometers in fully driverless mode.
The service now processes over 250,000 rides per week across 22 cities, with cumulative rides surpassing 17 million.
This Gulf expansion follows a similar recent milestone in Abu Dhabi, signaling Baidu's intent to lead the global transition to autonomous urban mobility.