Baidu, WeRide, Pony.ai secure permits for autonomous driving trials in Dubai

Image: Dubai Media Office

Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai have been granted permits by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to conduct autonomous driving trials on the emirate’s roads, enabling the companies to begin deploying vehicles for on-road testing across urban Dubai.

The move adds a new dimension to Dubai’s public transport ecosystem through RTA’s partnerships with the three companies.

By leveraging autonomous driving technologies and fleet operation expertise, all required tests and operations will be conducted to ensure the vehicles adapt seamlessly to the city’s local environment.

RTA collaboration to help Baidu, Pony.ai, WeRide set set global benchmark

Through collaboration with RTA, Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide and Pony.ai aim to co-build a global benchmark for smart mobility and contribute to solidifying Dubai’s position as a world-leading autonomous city.

The implementation builds on agreements signed earlier this year between RTA and the three companies, ensuring timely execution of RTA’s roadmap to introduce autonomous taxi services in Dubai, in line with the emirate’s ongoing development across multiple sectors.

The initiative supports Dubai’s wider push to adopt autonomous mobility solutions and reinforce its global leadership in smart mobility. RTA’s partnerships with international players in the sector represent a step towards achieving Dubai’s Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which targets converting 25 per cent of all mobility journeys into autonomous trips across different modes of transport by 2030.

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