Dubai has taken a decisive step toward fully autonomous urban transport with the launch of its first RT6 driverless taxis, powered by Baidu’s Apollo Go platform. The initiative strengthens the emirate’s push to become a global leader in smart, AI-driven mobility.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council, officially launched the autonomous taxi operations and personally experienced the technology during a ride to the World Governments Summit at Madinat Jumeirah.
The public rollout of the service is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
A Live Demonstration of Future Mobility
Sheikh Hamdan’s journey demonstrated Dubai’s readiness to integrate autonomous vehicles into live traffic. During the ride, officials briefed him on how the RT6 system combines artificial intelligence, advanced sensing, and autonomous decision-making to ensure safe, seamless travel on public roads.
Meanwhile, the launch event drew senior leadership from across the government’s technology and mobility sectors. Attendees included Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority.
Inside the RT6 Autonomous Taxi Technology
At the core of the launch is the RT6 itself — the sixth generation of Baidu’s autonomous taxi platform, purpose-built for large-scale commercial deployment.
Each vehicle uses more than 40 sensors, including high-precision LiDAR units, multi-band radar systems, and advanced camera arrays. Together, these systems allow the taxi to perceive its surroundings in real time — detecting obstacles, interpreting traffic signals, and responding instantly to changing road conditions.
Beyond hardware, the vehicle runs on an integrated software stack that combines high-definition mapping, real-time data feeds, and deep-learning algorithms. This enables the RT6 to navigate complex urban environments, interact safely with pedestrians and other vehicles, and operate fully within traffic regulations.
Importantly, the technology already has a substantial global track record. Baidu’s Apollo Go fleet has logged more than 150 million kilometres and completed over 10 million autonomous trips, providing a proven foundation for commercial-scale deployment.
From MoU to Deployment in 10 Months
Dubai’s driverless taxi programme demonstrates the emirate’s ability to move swiftly from concept to execution.
The collaboration between the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Baidu’s Apollo Go began with discussions at the 2025 World Government Summit. From there, momentum built quickly. Within just 10 months, the partners moved from early talks to signing a Memorandum of Understanding and launching operational trials.
This rapid rollout underscores Dubai’s regulatory agility, advanced infrastructure, and strong readiness to adopt emerging mobility technologies, positioning the city at the forefront of autonomous transport innovation.
New Autonomous Operations Hub in Dubai
As part of the rollout, Baidu Apollo Go has opened its first operations and control centre outside China, located at Dubai Science Park.
The 2,000-square-metre facility functions as the nerve centre for the autonomous fleet. It houses a command and control room, simulation and training facilities, and maintenance units. From here, teams monitor vehicle performance, deploy software updates, conduct inspections, and oversee safety testing to ensure consistent and reliable operations.
Scaling Toward a Smarter Transport Ecosystem
The RT6 taxi launch marks a significant milestone in Dubai’s broader smart mobility vision. By integrating AI-driven transport into everyday life, the emirate aims to improve mobility efficiency, reduce congestion, enhance road safety, and elevate the quality of life.
Plans are already in place to expand the autonomous fleet to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years, further embedding driverless transport into Dubai’s urban landscape.
With the RT6 rollout, Dubai is not just piloting future mobility. It is operationalising it at the city scale.
Sheikh Hamdan takes first ride in the fully autonomous RT6 taxi vehicles developed by Baidu Apollo Go.X/@DXBMediaOffice
Source: Gulf News
