Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Dubai is accelerating its transition towards a future powered by autonomous mobility, with Robotaxi operations recording more than 4 million kilometres travelled and 7,613 passenger trips since launch, demonstrating growing public confidence in autonomous transportation and laying the foundation for the next phase of driverless mobility in the emirate.
Providing further details, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, Chair of Autonomous Transport and Aerial Taxi Committee, said: “the Robotaxi service currently has a fleet of 144 vehicles, including 48 vehicles in active operation, completing around 50 trips daily. Most notably, the service has achieved a 97% customer satisfaction rate, reflecting strong acceptance of the technology and the quality of customer experience.
Bahrozyan added: “the operational performance represents an important milestone in Dubai’s journey towards its strategic target of making 25% of all transportation trips autonomous by 2030.”
The Robotaxi program is being developed through a rigorous, phased approach designed to ensure the highest standards of safety, reliability and operational readiness. Carefully defined operational zones enable the technology to be tested and validated under real-world conditions, supporting the smooth transition from safety-driver trials to fully driverless public transportation.
The extensive distance travel to date provides a substantial operational base for evaluating autonomous driving performance, refining customer experience and preparing the service for future expansion.
Strengthening strategic partnerships for sutonomous mobility
RTA adds a new dimension to Dubai’s public transport ecosystem through its partnerships with Baidu’s Apollo Go, WeRide, and Pony.ai. By leveraging autonomous driving technologies and the fleet operation expertise of these companies. Through their collaboration with RTA, the three companies aim to co-build a global benchmark for smart mobility and contribute to solidifying Dubai's position as a world-leading autonomous city.
This rapid implementation builds on agreements signed between RTA and the three companies, ensuring timely and on-plan execution of RTA’s roadmap to introduce autonomous taxi services in Dubai, in line with the emirate’s continuous development across all sectors.
The advancement of Dubai’s autonomous mobility ecosystem is being supported by strategic partnership with leading global technology and mobility companies. In this context, RTA is working with its autonomous mobility partners to expand access to driverless transportation and integrate autonomous vehicles into Dubai’s wider mobility network.
The partnerships represent an important step in connecting autonomous vehicle technology with Dubai’s established digital mobility ecosystem. Through these partnerships, riders in selected areas of Dubai can access fully driverless Robotaxi services, supporting the integration of autonomous mobility into everyday journeys and contributing to Dubai’s ambition to scale safe, efficient and sustainable autonomous transportation.
In the same line, Uber Technologies, Inc (NYSE: UBER) today announced that Baidu fully driverless Apollo Go vehicles are officially available to riders on the Uber platform in Dubai, with New Horizon Luxury Transport serving as the fleet operator.
Meeting Dubai’s growing mobility demand
The advancement of autonomous mobility comes as Dubai continues to experience sustained population growth, with the emirate now home to more than 4 million residents. This growth is generating increasing demand for convenient, efficient and technology-enabled mobility solutions, while accelerating reliance on shared mobility and app-based ride-hailing services.
The scale of this demand is reflected in the performance of Dubai’s transport network. Public transport, shared mobility and taxis carried 348 million riders during the first half of 2026, with average daily ridership reaching 1.9 million. This growing mobility ecosystem provides a strong foundation for the development and expansion of autonomous vehicle services.
Robotaxis are emerging as a key component of Dubai’s next-generation mobility ecosystem, complementing public transport, taxis and shared mobility while offering a new model of safe, technology-driven transportation.
With millions of kilometres already covered, thousands of customer journeys completed and satisfaction reaching 97%, Dubai’s Robotaxi program is moving beyond technology demonstration towards scaled, real-world autonomous mobility.
The continued expansion of autonomous services will support Dubai’s vision of becoming a global leader in smart and sustainable transportation and contribute directly to its ambition of making one in every four transportation trips autonomous by 2030.