Dubai Just Launched Its First Fully Autonomous Taxi Service
Dubai has officially launched its first fully autonomous taxi service, and it’s a pretty big deal for the emirate’s smart mobility plans.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, kicked off operations of the RT6 driverless taxis developed by Baidu Apollo Go, according to the Dubai Media Office. He even took the first ride in one of the autonomous vehicles on his way to the World Governments Summit at Madinat Jumeirah.
This service is part of Dubai’s bigger push to bring artificial intelligence and advanced technology into public transport. The autonomous taxis are set to roll out to the public in the first quarter of 2026, after ongoing trials wrap up.
So what’s the RT6? It’s Baidu Apollo Go’s sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, built for large-scale use. The thing is packed with more than 40 sensors — high-precision LiDAR, radars, cameras, the works — that let it navigate live traffic, interact with pedestrians, and follow traffic laws without anyone behind the wheel. The system uses AI-driven decision-making, real-time data processing, and high-definition mapping to make it all work.
Globally, Baidu Apollo Go’s autonomous fleet has racked up more than 150 million kilometres and completed 10 million driverless trips, so they’ve got some serious experience backing this up.
This project came together through a collaboration between Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Baidu Apollo Go, which started with discussions at the World Governments Summit 2025. From those first talks to actual operational trials, the whole thing was pulled off in just ten months.
Baidu Apollo Go has also opened its first operations and control centre outside China at Dubai Science Park to handle fleet monitoring, safety testing, and maintenance. And they’re not stopping here — plans are in the works to expand the autonomous taxi fleet to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years.
Dubai’s moving fast, and this is just the beginning.
