Sheikh Hamdan launches Dubai’s first fully autonomous taxi service, signalling a major leap in smart mobility and reinforcing the emirate’s ambition to lead the global future of transport….reports Asian Lite news
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on Wednesday launched the official operations of fully autonomous driverless taxi services in the emirate, marking a major milestone in Dubai’s journey towards future-ready urban mobility.
The launch involved the sixth-generation RT6 autonomous taxi vehicles developed by Baidu Apollo Go, one of the world’s leading autonomous mobility platforms. Sheikh Hamdan personally experienced the service by travelling in a driverless taxi to the venue of the World Governments Summit at Madinat Jumeirah, signalling Dubai’s readiness to translate innovation strategies into real-world applications.
During the journey, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the advanced operating system behind the autonomous vehicles, which combines artificial intelligence, high-precision sensors and real-time decision-making technologies. The integrated system enables safe navigation across complex urban environments, including roads open to live traffic, while adhering to approved safety standards.
The launch was attended by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), reflecting the high-level institutional coordination behind Dubai’s smart mobility ambitions.
The RT6 autonomous taxis are equipped with more than 40 advanced sensors, including LiDAR systems, multi-band radars and high-resolution cameras. These technologies allow the vehicle to accurately perceive its surroundings, detect obstacles, interpret traffic signals and respond dynamically to changing road conditions. The vehicles operate through a sophisticated software ecosystem that integrates real-time data, high-definition mapping and deep-learning algorithms, ensuring compliance with traffic regulations while interacting safely with pedestrians and other vehicles.
The technology deployed in Dubai is backed by extensive global operational experience. Baidu Apollo Go’s autonomous vehicles have collectively completed more than 150 million kilometres of safe driving and delivered over 10 million autonomous trips across multiple cities. This track record has helped refine scalable operational models suitable for large-scale commercial deployment.
The driverless taxi initiative is the result of close cooperation between Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and Baidu Apollo Go, which began with exploratory discussions during the World Governments Summit 2025. These discussions focused on leveraging global expertise in autonomous mobility to support Dubai’s goal of accelerating future transport solutions.
Progress moved swiftly from planning to execution. Within approximately 10 months, the partnership advanced from initial talks to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, followed by operational trials on selected roads across Dubai. The rapid transition underscored the efficiency of Dubai’s regulatory framework, agile decision-making processes and the readiness of its smart infrastructure.
As part of its expansion, Baidu Apollo Go has inaugurated an autonomous vehicle operations and control centre in Dubai, its first such facility outside China. Located at Dubai Science Park, the 2,000-square-metre centre serves as a comprehensive hub for managing fleet operations, monitoring vehicle performance, conducting software updates and overseeing maintenance and safety testing.
The centre strengthens coordination between smart road infrastructure, autonomous vehicles and decision-making systems, supporting the phased expansion of driverless taxi services. Baidu Apollo Go has announced plans to grow its autonomous fleet in Dubai to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years.
The launch reinforces Dubai’s position as a global leader in smart and sustainable transport. By integrating artificial intelligence with cutting-edge infrastructure and global partnerships, the emirate continues to reshape urban mobility, enhance quality of life and set new benchmarks for cities of the future.
