Dubai To Introduce Self-Driving Taxis By Next Year

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has expanded its global partnerships with major autonomous driving technology providers, including Uber Technologies, WeRide and China’s Baidu (Apollo Go), to deploy autonomous taxis in the emirate. The companies will commence trials of autonomous taxis in Dubai this year, with a safety driver seated behind the wheel, in preparation for the driverless commercial launch next year.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said that the partnerships represent a significant step in advancing Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to transform 25% of all journeys in the city into autonomous trips across various transport modes by 2030. “The deployment of autonomous taxis will support the integration of transport systems by enhancing first and last-mile connectivity for public transport users," Mattar Al Tayer added.