Dubai is gearing up for a major leap into the future of urban transport: autonomous taxis are set to hit the city’s streets as early as next month. Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), has confirmed that the organization is about to sign a deal with “one of the biggest operators” in the autonomous mobility sector. While the partner’s name remains under wraps, the first self-driving taxi ride is expected to take place in March.
Initially, these futuristic vehicles will feature a safety driver behind the wheel, but the plan is to gradually move toward fully driverless operations. The service will launch in three or four of Dubai’s busiest areas, likely including Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, and the bustling Burj Khalifa district.
The pilot phase will roll out between 50 and 100 autonomous taxis, with costs split between DTC—a subsidiary of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority—and its chosen technology partner. This move is part of Dubai’s broader push for smart mobility, coming hot on the heels of permits granted for fully driverless vehicle tests to Baidu’s Apollo Go and BYD Group’s plans to enter the local autonomous vehicle market.
Autonomous taxis are just one piece of Dubai’s ambitious transport transformation agenda, which also features projects like the Dubai Loop (a $680 million underground electric transit system) and dedicated autonomous vehicle lanes in the works.
DTC’s strong 2025 performance underlines the city’s mobility momentum, with net profits up 7% to AED356.1 million and revenue climbing 13% to AED2.47 billion. Last year, the fleet completed 53 million trips, including rides in 525 fully electric vehicles.
As Dubai races toward its smart city vision, seeing driverless taxis on the road could soon become a part of everyday life—a sign that the future of urban mobility has well and truly arrived.
