- Having secured the totally driverless industrial allow in mid-November 2025, the companions have launched totally autonomous ride-hailing service through the AutoGo app.
- Preliminary operations cowl Yas Island, with phased enlargement deliberate for Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands.
- The launch marks a essential step towards the companions’ objective of deploying a whole lot of automobiles by 2026 and constructing Abu Dhabi’s largest totally driverless fleet.
ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) as we speak introduced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a number one UAE-based autonomous mobility firm, have formally launched the totally autonomous industrial ride-hailing service within the emirate. The launch of the service, now out there through the AutoGo app, marks a significant milestone within the commercialization of autonomous driving within the Center East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, the place customers in Abu Dhabi can now obtain the app to hail totally driverless rides.
The collaboration between Baidu’s Apollo Go and K2’s AutoGo started in March 2025, after they introduced the partnership to construct Abu Dhabi’s largest totally driverless fleet. Constructing on that momentum, the businesses secured one of many inaugural permits for totally driverless industrial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase settlement to scale the fleet to a whole lot of automobiles by 2026. With the service now out there to most people via the AutoGo app, the companions are actively advancing their objective of creating the emirate’s largest totally driverless fleet.
“Transferring from an preliminary partnership settlement to launching dwell, totally driverless operations for the general public in a span of just some months is a outstanding milestone,” mentioned Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. “This pace of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the robust operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast assist of native regulatory our bodies.”
“AutoGo’s transition to dwell robotaxi operations marks an vital milestone in Abu Dhabi’s autonomous mobility journey,” mentioned Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. “Launching the service at the beginning of the 12 months displays our give attention to execution and long-term worth creation. By introducing robotaxi providers in actual city environments and scaling throughout key districts, we’re shifting decisively from growth to deployment—delivering autonomy that’s sensible, secure, and prepared for on a regular basis use.”
The preliminary operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and leisure hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for totally driverless operations. This service permits customers to easily obtain the AutoGo app, request a experience, and expertise a journey in a car with no human driver behind the wheel.
The AutoGo app, now open to public customers
Following the preliminary launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out throughout Abu Dhabi. The enlargement will start with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will proceed to develop throughout extra areas, with the long-term goal of working throughout the broader Abu Dhabi emirate.
Apollo Go’s speedy enlargement into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving expertise and confirmed real-world operational experience. As a number one autonomous experience‑hailing service supplier globally, Apollo Go has logged greater than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers had been accomplished in totally driverless mode. With a world footprint throughout 22 cities, Apollo Go’s weekly experience depend has lately surpassed 250,000, and the service has accomplished greater than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Trying forward, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale totally autonomous industrial ride-hailing providers to achieve extra customers and advance Abu Dhabi’s sensible metropolis imaginative and prescient.
About Baidu
Based in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the sophisticated world less complicated via expertise. Baidu is a number one AI firm with robust Web basis, buying and selling on the NASDAQ underneath “BIDU” and HKEX underneath “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A strange shares.
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