📋 Tender Overview
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Mr. Yunpeng Wang, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and President of Baidus Intelligent Driving Group, inaugurated Baidu Apollo Gos Autonomous Vehicles Operations and Control Centre at Dubai Science Park. The facility marks Baidu Apollo Gos first centre outside China. Spanning an area of 2,000 square metres, the centre is designed as a comprehensive hub for managing infrastructure resources, services, and internet-based applications, in addition to a simulation room, a training room, and an operations and maintenance centre. RTA granted Baidu Apollo Go Dubais first permit of its kind, authorising the company to conduct trials of fully autonomous vehicles on designated public roads without a safety driver behind the wheel. Centre facilities and capabilities During his tour, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer was briefed on the centres facilities and capabilities. The centre has been designed as a fully integrated hub for autonomous vehicles, integrating intelligent road infrastructure, charging and maintenance facilities, and related technologies. It aligns with Apollo Gos plans to expand its autonomous vehicle fleet in Dubai to more than 1,000 vehicles in the coming years. The centre is responsible for the daily operation of vehicles, routine maintenance, charging operations, software updates, vehicle management and inspection, as well as the maintenance of components and equipment dedicated to test vehicles. It also supports safety testing and ensures rapid and effective response to operational commands, while enabling safety drivers to perform their roles across areas including test readiness, safety awareness, training, device inventory management, and support for day-to-day office operations. Operational steps The opening of the Autonomous Vehicles Operations and Control Centre builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between RTA and the company in March 2025 to enable the large-scale operation of autonomous taxis across the emirate. In July 2025, the company obtained the emirates first autonomous driving trial permit to conduct operational trials of autonomous vehicles, followed in August by the launch of trials involving 50 RT6 autonomous vehicles on designated roads in Dubai. Securing the first permit to conduct fully driverless trials without a safety driver behind the wheel marks a pivotal milestone in Apollo Gos efforts to launch a fully integrated commercial autonomous ride-hailing service in the emirate in the first quarter of 2026. Global confidence in Dubai His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer expressed his satisfaction with the opening of Baidu Apollo Gos Autonomous Vehicles Operations and Control Centre, noting that the step represents a strategic milestone in Dubais journey towards consolidating its global leadership in smart mobility and the deployment of artificial intelligence in the transport sector. He added, The opening of Apollo Gos first operations centre outside China reflects the strong confidence of leading global companies in Dubais advanced regulatory environment and the readiness of its smart infrastructure to accommodate and advance autonomous vehicle technologies in line with the highest standards of safety and efficiency. RTAs issuance of Dubais first permit for fully driverless operational trials without a safety driver represents a qualitative milestone, translating our commitment to developing a flexible and secure legislative framework that keeps pace with rapid advancements in mobility technologies, supports innovation, and fosters partnerships with leading specialised global companies in this field. The collaboration with Baidu Apollo Go forms part of RTAs vision to expand future mobility solutions and enhance the deployment of autonomous vehicles across taxi and ride-hailing services. This will contribute to improving quality of life, enhancing road safety, reducing carbon emissions, and increasing the efficiency of the emirates transport network. RTA continues to work closely with strategic partners to accelerate the adoption of smart mobility solutions and support the transformation of Dubai into a global laboratory for future transport technologies, in line with the directives of the wise leadership and the vision to build a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and advanced technology. Expansion in the UAE We are honoured that Dubais Roads and Transport Authority has entrusted Apollo Go with Dubais first driverless vehicle trial permit, said Yunpeng Wang, Corporate Vice President of Baidu and President of Baidus Intelligent Driving Group. Together with the opening of our first overseas Apollo Go Park, this marks a significant milestone in Apollo Gos expansion in the United Arab Emirates and underscores our long-term commitment to the region. Building on our proven global expertise, we look forward to working closely with Dubais Roads and Transport Authority and local partners to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable autonomous ride-hailing services, accelerating the emirates transition towards intelligent transportation. Receiving Dubais first driverless vehicle trial permit is a testament to the safety and maturity of our technology, said Liang Zhang, Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Baidu Apollo. By establishing our first overseas Apollo Go Park here in Dubai, we are creating a strong foundation to localise our operations and work closely with Dubais Roads and Transport Authority to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable autonomous mobility solutions for the emirates residents. 240 million autonomous kilometres Apollo Gos rapid expansion in the United Arab Emirates is underpinned by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As one of the worlds leading providers of autonomous ride-hailing services, Apollo Go ve
