Dubai has made a big move towards self-driving transport by opening Baidu Apollo Go’s first autonomous vehicle operations and control centre outside China. The new 2,000 square metre facility is located in Dubai Science Park, and marks an important step in the city’s plan to lead the world in smart and AI-powered mobility.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Yunpeng Wang, Baidu’s Vice President, officially opened the centre. Dubai also issued Baidu Apollo Go its first-ever permit to test fully driverless cars on specific public roads.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer said: "The opening of Apollo Go’s first operations centre outside China reflects the strong confidence of leading global companies in Dubai’s advanced regulatory environment and the readiness of its smart infrastructure to accommodate and advance autonomous vehicle technologies in line with the highest standards of safety and efficiency."
Commercial driverless ride-hailing services are scheduled to begin in early 2026, starting with a smaller fleet that will gradually grow to 1,000 vehicles in the coming years. This milestone follows a partnership agreement signed between RTA and Baidu in 2025 to bring large-scale autonomous taxis to Dubai.