Baidu’s fully driverless Apollo Go is now available through Uber in parts of Dubai, bringing autonomous taxis into a service that passengers already use every day. 

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There is something unusual about booking an Uber and having a car arrive without a driver. That is now happening in Dubai, where passengers in parts of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim can book Baidu’s fully driverless Apollo Go through the Uber app. The service became available on August 20, with riders requesting UberX or Uber Comfort able to be matched with a driverless vehicle. They can also select an “Autonomous” option in the app. The service uses Baidu’s RT6 electric robotaxis, which are operated locally by New Horizon Luxury Transport. 

But this is not the start of Dubai’s robotaxi programme. Driverless taxi services have already been operating in the emirate, including Apollo Go and WeRide vehicles. What changes with the latest rollout is how passengers can access the service. A driverless ride can now be booked through an app they already use, putting it alongside conventional rides rather than requiring a separate platform. 

Dubai is already gaining experience with robotaxis 

The launch comes as Dubai’s wider autonomous taxi programme continues to expand. On August 19, the Roads and Transport Authority said its robotaxis had travelled more than four million kilometres since the programme began. That milestone predates the Uber launch and covers the wider programme, rather than the new Apollo Go service on Uber. The emirate has been introducing the technology gradually, keeping current services within defined areas while working with several companies. Baidu received approval to test fully autonomous vehicles in Dubai without a safety driver earlier this year, followed by the start of commercial operations. The RTA has said the services will be expanded as the programme develops, with Dubai targeting a much larger role for autonomous transport in the years ahead. 

There is already some evidence from other markets that driverless taxis can operate safely at scale. Waymo, which has been running commercial driverless rides in several US cities, was found in a recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study to have fewer police reported crash involvements per mile than human drivers. The study is limited to Waymo’s vehicles and operating areas, but it provides some real world context for Dubai as its own services expand. Those deployments have also brought regulatory questions; particularly around how driverless vehicles operate in unusual road situations and how assistance is provided when the automated system needs support. Dubai’s decision to expand gradually within defined areas gives the RTA and operators room to address those issues as the service grows. 

For Uber, the Dubai launch is part of a wider effort to bring autonomous vehicles onto its ride hailing platform. The company is not providing the cars themselves. Baidu supplies the technology, New Horizon handles local operations and Uber connects the service with passengers through its app. The companies announced their broader partnership last year, with plans to bring Apollo Go vehicles to Uber’s international network outside the US and mainland China. 

For passengers, the change is fairly straightforward. A driverless vehicle can now appear as an option during a normal Uber booking, without requiring a separate service or app. That may be a more important step in getting people used to robotaxis than another standalone demonstration because the technology is being introduced through a service they already know. Dubai has already spent months building experience with autonomous taxis. This latest launch puts another driverless option in front of passengers while the city continues to expand its programme. 

For now, a driverless Uber is still a new experience for passengers. Whether it becomes an ordinary part of getting around Dubai will depend on how the service performs as it expands. 

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