Dubai is gearing up to introduce driverless taxis as early as next year, with a full rollout planned for 2026. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has teamed up with major tech companies to bring self-driving cabs to the city, aiming to make transportation safer, more efficient, and more accessible.
Two big names in ride-hailing — Uber and China’s Baidu — are behind this project. Their autonomous driving technologies will power Dubai’s first driverless taxi service. You’ll be able to book these futuristic rides through two apps: WeRide or Apollo Go.
Baidu’s Apollo Go service has already logged 150 million kilometers of driverless rides in cities across China. Since February alone, it has completed over 10 million trips, making it the world’s largest operator of autonomous taxis.
This initiative is part of Dubai’s long-term vision to transform its transport system. The emirate wants 25% of all public transport trips to be driverless by 2030. The goals include:
- Improving road safety – fewer human errors mean fewer accidents
- Reducing traffic congestion – smoother traffic flow and better efficiency
- Cutting emissions – cleaner and greener transportation
- Helping more people – including seniors and people with disabilities
The Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy estimates these changes could bring in AED 22 billion by cutting transport costs and boosting productivity. Initially, there will be a trial phase in 2025, where cars will have a safety driver on board. If all goes well, fully autonomous rides will launch in 2026 with 4,000 driverless taxis on Dubai’s roads in the coming years.
