Baidu, Inc has announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have entered a significantly expanded phase of their partnership aimed at scaling the fleet to hundreds of autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi.
This next-phase partnership was signed as the partners secured one of Abu Dhabi’s inaugural fully driverless commercial permits issued by Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), readying the fleet to commence fully driverless robotaxi service for the public. With the permit now in place and hundreds of new vehicles to be deployed, both partners are advancing rapidly toward the goal of large-scale fully driverless commercial operations in Abu Dhabi by 2026.
This permit builds upon the partnership’s progress since its March announcement, including months of fully driverless testing on public roads. It authorizes the fleet to officially provide robotaxi services to Abu Dhabi’s residents and visitors. These milestones further confirm the fleet’s readiness for scaled deployment, advancing the ultimate goal of building Abu Dhabi’s largest fully driverless fleet.
“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with AutoGo in Abu Dhabi and to secure one of the emirate’s inaugural fully driverless commercial permits,” said Liang Zhang, managing director of EMEA, Baidu Apollo. “Moving from our initial announcement to fully driverless testing in just a few months, and now securing the permit, shows incredible potential and strong support for autonomous mobility in the UAE. This next phase, focused on larger-scale operation, brings us one step closer to a future of safer, smarter, and more sustainable transportation for the region.”
Sean Teo, managing director of K2 added: “AutoGo is committed to advancing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global leader in smart and autonomous vehicle technology, in line with the vision of the SAVI cluster. Our partnership with Baidu’s Apollo Go is instrumental in this mission. The fully driverless commercial permit is a testament to our combined capabilities, and we are excited to expand our cooperation to build Abu Dhabi’s largest driverless robotaxi fleet, transforming the mobility landscape of the UAE.”
The announcement was made during the recent Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week (November 10–15), where Apollo Go and AutoGo showcased their fully driverless ride-hailing service. Dr. Abdulla Hamad Al Ghfeli, director general of the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), participated in a pilot ride of the service.
As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service globally, Apollo Go says it has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers with a strong safety record. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go claims its weekly ride count now surpasses 250,000; and that it had completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025.