Dubai to start self-driving taxi operations in March, Sheikh Hamdan had a trial ride
The long-anticipated autonomous taxi service is set to finally begin operations in Dubai next March, following directives from the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.
Sheikh Hamdan confirmed that 100 fully autonomous vehicles will be added to the self-driving fleet in the emirate, saying, “This is only the beginning of our journey to the future. The best is yet to come for Dubai.”
To show his confidence in Dubai’s ability to advance toward autonomous mobility while maintaining rigorous safety standards, Sheikh Hamdan traveled himself in a driverless vehicle on Thursday to attend the World Governments Summit 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
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Sheikh Hamdan, who also holds the role of Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, shared a video of the journey and captioned it: “Hands off. Future On. #SelfDrivingCar.” The ride took place in one of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles.
“The future of mobility in Dubai will be smarter, safer, more efficient, and more inclusive. We are turning vision into reality, building sustainable transport that improves quality of life for everyone,” Sheikh Hamdan added.
At the time being, three companies, Pony.ai, Uber, and Baidu’s Apollo Go, will operate a combined fleet of 100 autonomous taxis through partnerships with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
This news is especially important for Apollo Go, as it will mark the first time its self-driving service operates outside China. The company also plans to expand its fleet to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years.
![Brigadier Issam Ibrahim Al Awar, Acting Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police [left], and Mohamed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of Parkin.](https://cdn.menatech.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/fct083kx1k9150mpn-768x595.jpeg)
