Driverless taxis are now on Dubai roads as a trial
Dubai residents, you may spot some driverless taxis on the roads of Dubai as you’re popping out to the mall or on your commute to work. These robotaxis are currently in a trial period ahead of their launch in 2026 and are being tested across various places in Dubai including the streets of Jumeirah.
The trial is after MoUs were revealed recently by RTA with global autonomous vehicle companies Baidu (Apollo Go), Pony.ai, and WeRide to introduce these driverless taxis to Dubai.
Khaled Al Awadhi, Director of Transportation Systems at RTA’s Public Transport Agency spoke to Gulf News:“The idea is to provide robotaxi services in Dubai by the first quarter of 2026. It will be commercially available to the public,
Pilot tests have been held on closed and open roads in Dubai Silicon Oasis, with all three companies completing their first trials.
“Out of the three companies, Baidu and WeRide have completed tests in Dubai Silicon Oasis and have now started operating in certain city areas, such as Jumeirah, for open-road testing with safety drivers.” Al Awadhi said. There are currently 60 vehicles involved in the trial period. Currently, the testing and trial phases are being conducted with a safety driver behind the wheel, just to ensure everything is safe and sound for its future passengers. However in the next few months, they will be tested without safety drivers and under strict rules and regulations by RTA.
Initially, these autonomous vehicles will focus on “first and last mile” connections — short trips between public transport hubs, homes, hotels, and major landmarks. This means quicker access to the Dubai Metro, less reliance on private vehicles, and smarter solutions for airport and business district travel. The digital mapping of the roads began way back in 2022, and once this is sorted, pilot operations will be launched in up to 65 zones across Dubai.
Image: Gulf News
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