Baidu, Inc. revealed that its autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go, together with AutoGo—an emerging leader in the UAE’s autonomous mobility sector—has moved into a major new stage of collaboration aimed at deploying a large fleet of self-driving vehicles across Abu Dhabi. Under the expanded partnership, the two companies plan to scale their operations to hundreds of autonomous cars, marking one of the most ambitious robotaxi expansions in the region.
The announcement coincides with a landmark achievement: Apollo Go and AutoGo have secured one of Abu Dhabi’s first fully driverless commercial permits issued by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC). This authorization clears the final regulatory hurdle needed for the companies to begin offering a fully driverless robotaxi service to the general public. With the permit granted and preparations underway to roll out a significantly larger vehicle fleet, the partners say they are on a fast track toward establishing large-scale, fully driverless commercial operations in the emirate by 2026.
This milestone builds on steady progress since the partnership was first revealed in March. In the months that followed, Apollo Go and AutoGo completed extensive fully driverless road tests under real-world conditions, demonstrating their readiness for commercial deployment. The new permit formalizes their ability to provide commercial robotaxi rides to both residents and visitors, further validating the fleet’s maturity and operational safety. Both companies say these developments bring them closer to creating Abu Dhabi’s largest driverless mobility network.
Liang Zhang, managing director of EMEA for Baidu Apollo, emphasized the significance of the achievement. “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with AutoGo and to receive one of Abu Dhabi’s inaugural fully driverless commercial permits,” Zhang said. “To progress from the initial partnership announcement, to months of driverless testing, and now to full authorization—all within a short period—underscores the tremendous momentum for autonomous mobility in the UAE. This next phase, centered on large-scale deployment, represents a vital step toward safer, smarter, and more sustainable transportation across the region.”
K2 managing director Sean Teo echoed this enthusiasm, highlighting AutoGo’s broader strategic mission. “AutoGo is dedicated to reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global powerhouse in smart and autonomous mobility, fully aligned with the ambitions of the SAVI cluster,” Teo noted. “Our collaboration with Baidu’s Apollo Go plays a pivotal role in achieving that vision. Receiving the fully driverless commercial permit validates the combined strengths of both teams, and we are thrilled to accelerate our work together as we build Abu Dhabi’s largest autonomous robotaxi fleet.”
The announcement took place during Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, held from November 10 to 15, where both companies demonstrated their fully driverless ride-hailing service. Dr. Abdulla Hamad Al Ghfeli, director general of the ITC, participated in a pilot trip, offering a firsthand look at the technology in action.
Apollo Go, now recognized as one of the world’s leading autonomous ride-hailing operators, reports more than 240 million kilometers of autonomous driving and a strong record for safety. Operating in 22 cities globally, the service continues to grow rapidly, surpassing 250,000 weekly rides and completing over 17 million cumulative trips as of October 31, 2025.
