Baidu has obtained the first full-driverless test permit in Dubai and plans to launch commercial Robotaxi services within the year.

According to a report by "Arabian Gulf Business Insights" (AGBI) on January 9th, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has issued the first fully driverless test permit to Apollo Go, an autonomous driving mobility platform under Chinese technology company Baidu, allowing it to operate driverless vehicles without safety drivers on designated public roads.

Baidu stated that it plans to launch an autonomous driving commercial mobility service in Dubai in the first quarter of this year. It has also set up an autonomous driving operation center covering an area of approximately 2,000 square meters in the city center, integrating intelligent roads, charging, operation and maintenance, and dispatching systems. In the future, Apollo Go and the RTA plan to expand the fleet size to over 1,000 vehicles.

The Dubai transport department said that this test will focus on evaluating the system's safety, reliability, and user experience, paving the way for large-scale commercialization. Analysts believe that this move marks a systematic breakthrough of Chinese autonomous driving technology in the Middle East market and also reflects the UAE's policy orientation of continuous opening up in the field of intelligent transportation. (Economic and Commercial Office of the Consulate-General in Dubai)