RTA Grants First Autonomous Driving Test Permits to Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai to Begin On-Road Trials

Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai have been granted permits by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to conduct autonomous driving trials on the emirate’s roads, enabling the companies to begin deploying their vehicles for on-road testing across urban Dubai.

With this step, RTA adds a new dimension to Dubai’s public transport ecosystem through its partnership with Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai. By leveraging autonomous driving technologies and the fleet operation expertise of these companies, all required tests and operations will be conducted to ensure the vehicles adapt seamlessly to the city’s local environment. Through their collaboration with RTA, the three companies aim to co-build a global benchmark for smart mobility and contribute to solidifying Dubai's position as a world-leading autonomous city.

This rapid implementation builds on agreements signed earlier this year between RTA and the three companies, ensuring timely and on-plan execution of RTA’s roadmap to introduce autonomous taxi services in Dubai, in line with the emirate’s continuous development across all sectors.

Such initiatives further support Dubai’s drive to adopt autonomous mobility solutions and reinforce its global leadership in smart mobility. RTA’s growing partnerships with leading international companies in autonomous mobility represent a key step towards realising Dubai’s Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which targets converting 25% of all mobility journeys in the emirate into autonomous trips across various modes of transport by 2030.