Baidu’s Apollo Go granted autonomous vehicle test licenses in Dubai

Press Release, 26 September 2025

Baidu’s robotaxi arm, Apollo Go, has just hit a major milestone in its global rollout — Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has issued its first permit for autonomous-driving trials, along with 50 test licenses. These allow Apollo Go to operate its sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6) on designated open roads in urban Dubai. Trials started in August 2025 after the permits were granted in July.

This is a first for Dubai: Apollo Go is now the only platform approved to run self-driving tests on public roads in the city, a capability showcased at the 4th Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport. The plan is ambitious — by 2028, Apollo Go and the RTA aim to scale the autonomous fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles.

Apollo Go brings a strong track record to this effort: over 200 million kilometers of safe autonomous mileage, more than 14 million rides delivered to passengers, and full driverless operations in some Chinese cities.

Dubai’s move signals a strong push toward integrating autonomous mobility into its public transport network, leveraging regulations and trials to test readiness. For Apollo Go, this isn’t just about testing — it’s about proving whether its technology can adapt to Dubai’s urban environment and road conditions, while meeting safety, localization, and operational challenges. The coming years will show how smoothly this transition unfolds.

Source: PR Newswire