Dubai has taken a major step forward in future mobility with the official launch of fully autonomous RT6 taxi operations developed by Baidu Apollo Go, marking a significant milestone in the emirate’s smart mobility journey.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, inaugurated the service after riding in one of the driverless vehicles to the World Governments Summit venue at Madinat Jumeirah. The milestone paves the way for the public rollout of the service in the first quarter of 2026.
During the journey, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the vehicle’s operating system, which uses artificial intelligence, advanced sensing technologies, and autonomous decision-making to ensure safe and seamless movement on live roads within real urban environments.
The launch was attended by 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 Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority.
The RT6 represents the sixth generation of autonomous taxis and is equipped with more than 40 sensors, including LiDAR, multi-band radars, and advanced cameras. These systems enable real-time perception of surroundings, response to changing traffic conditions, and compliance with approved transport safety standards.
The service is the result of collaboration between the Roads and Transport Authority and Baidu Apollo Go, initiated during the World Governments Summit 2025. The partnership progressed from planning to operational trials and implementation within approximately 10 months.
Baidu Apollo Go has also opened its first operations and control centre outside China in Dubai Science Park. Spanning 2,000 square metres, the facility will manage fleet operations, monitoring, software updates, maintenance, and safety testing, supporting plans to expand the fleet to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years.
The initiative reinforces Dubai’s ambition to lead globally in smart, sustainable, and AI-driven transport solutions.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
