Baidu and Uber to Launch Driverless Apollo Go Taxis in Dubai's Jumeirah Next Month

Baidu-Uber deal brings driverless taxis to Jumeirah next month

Baidu Inc and Uber Technologies, in partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), are launching the next phase of their global autonomous collaboration by rolling Baidu’s Apollo Go ride‑hailing service onto the Uber app in Dubai. Fully driverless vehicles are expected to begin operating next month in select locations within the Jumeirah area, with availability expanding based on operational learnings and regulatory approvals. Riders booking Uber Comfort or UberX may be matched with an Apollo Go vehicle or can choose an "Autonomous" option in the app for trips inside the designated service zone.

The initial deployment uses a third‑party fleet manager, New Horizon, to handle day‑to‑day operations while Baidu supplies the autonomous driving stack and software. The program directly supports Dubai’s ambition to make 25% of all trips autonomous by 2030 and follows Baidu’s recent moves to internationalize Apollo Go, including a December plan to deploy in London and the January opening of an overseas Apollo Go Park. Officials say the Jumeirah launch is deliberately phased, allowing the partners to validate safety systems, mapping and rider experience before city‑wide scaling.

Baidu and Uber say the Dubai rollout serves as a learning ground for technical, regulatory and commercial questions that shape wider adoption. Nan Yang, vice‑president of Baidu and head of its overseas intelligent driving unit, calls the deployment a pivotal step to provide safe, efficient and accessible autonomous mobility worldwide. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous, says the tie‑up will expand consumer access to AV technology and that lessons from Dubai will inform safety protocols, software updates, insurance frameworks, workforce training and regulatory engagement as deployments widen across commercial, residential and tourist corridors.

Lyft flags Baidu among autonomy partners

Lyft Chief Executive David Risher cites autonomy partnerships — naming Waymo and Baidu — as part of the company’s growth strategy, saying it plans to begin placing self‑driving cars on roads in select U.S. markets in coming years while expanding services like teen accounts and integrating acquisitions such as FreeNow.

Uber’s partner network model underpins scaling

Uber already works with more than 20 autonomous vehicle partners that complete millions of trips annually, and its Dubai approach — combining Baidu’s technology with local operators like New Horizon — illustrates a model that separates software providers from on‑the‑ground fleet management and regulatory interfaces as cities deploy driverless services.