Source : WAM
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in partnership with Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, has inaugurated Baidu Apollo Go’s Autonomous Vehicles Operations and Control Centre at Dubai Science Park, marking the company’s first such facility outside China.
The centre was officially opened by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, alongside Yunpeng Wang, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and President of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group. Spanning 2,000 square metres, the facility will function as a central hub for fleet operations, vehicle maintenance, charging, software updates, and safety testing.
Designed as an integrated management hub, the centre oversees infrastructure resources, services, and internet-based applications. It also houses a simulation room, training facilities, and an operations and maintenance unit.
RTA has granted Baidu Apollo Go Dubai’s first permit of its kind, allowing the company to conduct trials of fully autonomous vehicles on designated public roads without a safety driver behind the wheel.
The centre supports Apollo Go’s plans to expand its autonomous fleet in Dubai to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years.
It will manage the daily operation of vehicles, routine maintenance, charging, software updates, inspections, and component upkeep for test vehicles. In addition, the centre facilitates safety testing, rapid response to operational commands, and supports safety drivers in areas such as test readiness, safety awareness, training, inventory management, and day-to-day operations.
The launch builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between RTA and Baidu in March 2025 to enable large-scale deployment of autonomous taxis across Dubai.
In July 2025, Baidu received Dubai’s first autonomous driving trial permit, followed in August by the rollout of trials involving 50 RT6 autonomous vehicles on designated roads.
Securing approval to conduct fully driverless trials without a safety driver represents a major milestone in Apollo Go’s plans to launch a fully integrated commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in Dubai in the first quarter of 2026.
Al Tayer said the initiative supports Dubai’s ambition to become a global leader in smart mobility and the use of artificial intelligence in transportation.
He added, “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.”
He said that the collaboration aligns with RTA’s vision to expand future mobility solutions and accelerate the adoption of autonomous vehicles across taxi and ride-hailing services.
Wang described the permit and the launch of the centre as a significant milestone in Apollo Go’s expansion in the UAE.
“Building on our proven global expertise, we look forward to working closely with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and local partners to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable autonomous ride-hailing services, accelerating the emirate’s transition towards intelligent transportation,” he said.
“Receiving Dubai’s first driverless vehicle trial permit is a testament to the safety and maturity of our technology,” said Liang Zhang, Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Baidu Apollo. “By establishing our first overseas Apollo Go Park here in Dubai, we are creating a strong foundation to localise our operations and work closely with Dubai’s RTA to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable autonomous mobility solutions for the emirate’s residents.”
