Dubai's self-driving taxis are ready to hit the streets
Dubai's gone full sci-fi with its new Baidu Apollo RT6 self-driving taxis.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum even took a ride himself in an autonomous RT6 vehicle to the World Governments Summit at Madinat Jumeirah.
The official launch was packed with big names, including the UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Omar Sultan Al Olama, and the RTA chief.
RT6 is packed with sensors and can drive safely
The RT6 is loaded with over 40 sensors—think LiDAR, radars, and cameras—all working together so the taxi can safely handle city streets using real-time data and deep learning.
Public rollout starts by March 2026, and these are built for scale.
Taxis run on Baidu Apollo Go software
These taxis run on Baidu Apollo Go software, which already boasts 150 million km of safe driving and 10 million trips worldwide.
Dubai teamed up with Baidu just last year at the World Governments Summit, moving from trials to launch in only 10 months.
Control center set up in Dubai Science Park
Dubai Science Park now hosts the first overseas control center for these autonomous rides—a 2,000 sqm hub that keeps an eye on every vehicle.
The fleet is set to grow fast (to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years), following trials.