This event is archived. Final snapshot from when the story concluded. View on Dashboard
Events / Dubai Launches Baidu Driverless Taxis
Tech autonomous taxi launch

Dubai Launches Baidu Driverless Taxis

Analysis based on 14 articles · First reported Feb 05, 2026 · Last updated Feb 11, 2026

Sentiment
60
Attention
4
Articles
14
Market Impact
Direct
Live prominence charts, article sentiment distribution, and event development timeline available on the NewsDesk Dashboard
Market Impact

The introduction of driverless taxis in United Arab Emirates===Dubai, spearheaded by Baidu's Apollo Go, signals a significant advancement in autonomous vehicle technology and its commercial deployment. This event is expected to boost investor confidence in the autonomous driving sector and potentially influence urban mobility strategies globally.

Automotive Technology Transportation
Event Summary

United Arab Emirates===Dubai has launched its first driverless RT6 taxis, a major step towards autonomous driving in the UAE. The United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) granted Baidu's Apollo Go, a Chinese company, its first permit to operate these taxis in the emirate. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of United Arab Emirates===Dubai, launched the operation and rode in one of the autonomous taxis to the World Government Summit, demonstrating its safety in real urban conditions. The public rollout is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. The RT6 taxis are equipped with over 40 sensors, including LiDAR and cameras, and use AI for safe navigation. Baidu's Apollo Go also opened its first international operations and control center in United Arab Emirates===Dubai Science Park, overseeing the autonomous fleet. This initiative is a result of a partnership between Baidu Apollo Go and United Arab Emirates===Dubai's RTA, with plans to expand the fleet to over 1,000 vehicles.

Key Actions
100 Baidu launched autonomous ride-hailing service United Arab Emirates===Dubai
100 Uber integrated autonomous ride-hailing service Baidu
95 United Arab Emirates===Dubai introduced first driverless taxis
90 United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority granted permit to operate driverless taxis Baidu
85 Baidu inaugurated first international operations and control center
80 United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority partnered for autonomous transportation Baidu
80 United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority partnered for autonomous transportation Uber
70 Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum launched and rode in autonomous taxi
+ 1 more actions View on Dashboard
Entities Involved
stock
Uber
Uber is integrating Baidu's Apollo Go service into its platform in United Arab Emirates===Dubai, expanding its autonomous vehicle offerings and reinforcing its position as a global platform for autonomous technology. This partnership helps Uber meet consumer demand for advanced mobility solutions.
Importance 100 Sentiment 70
loc
United Arab Emirates===Dubai
United Arab Emirates===Dubai has launched its first driverless RT6 taxis, showcasing its commitment to future mobility solutions and AI-driven transportation. This initiative positions United Arab Emirates===Dubai as a leader in autonomous vehicle technology.
Importance 90 Sentiment 70
stock
Baidu
Baidu's Apollo Go received the first permit to operate driverless taxis in United Arab Emirates===Dubai, marking a significant international expansion. The company also inaugurated its first operations and control center outside China in United Arab Emirates===Dubai.
Importance 85 Sentiment 60
govactor
United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority
The United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) granted Baidu's Apollo Go the permit to operate driverless taxis in United Arab Emirates===Dubai, demonstrating its role in regulating and advancing autonomous transportation in the emirate.
Importance 80 Sentiment 60
per
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the operation of driverless RT6 taxis and rode in one, publicly endorsing the technology and United Arab Emirates===Dubai's push for future mobility.
Importance 70 Sentiment 50
per
Nanyang
Nanyang, Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of Overseas Business Unit, Intelligent Driving Group, highlighted the launch of Apollo Go in United Arab Emirates===Dubai as a pivotal step in Baidu's mission for global autonomous mobility.
Importance 60 Sentiment 50
per
Sarfraz Maredia
Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous at Uber, expressed excitement about the partnership with Baidu, emphasizing Uber' role in expanding consumer access to autonomous technology worldwide.
Importance 60 Sentiment 50
+ 2 more entities View on Dashboard
Relationships
United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority related ↔ Baidu
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum related ↔ Baidu
Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum related ↔ United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority
Baidu related ↔ Uber
Baidu related ↔ United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority
Uber related ↔ United Arab Emirates===Roads and Transport Authority
New Horizon related ↔ Baidu
New Horizon related ↔ Uber
Nanyang related ↔ Baidu
Sarfraz Maredia related ↔ Uber
NEWSDESK
Track this event live

Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.

Open Dashboard

About NewsDesk

NewsDesk is a news intelligence platform that converts raw news articles into structured data. It tracks events, entities, and the relationships between them, with sentiment and attention metrics derived from thousands of articles. Pages on this site are daily static snapshots from the platform's live database. For real-time tracking, search, and alerts, the full dashboard is at app.newsdesk.dev.