Dubai has taken a major step towards driverless mobility with the launch of Baidu Apollo Go’s Autonomous Vehicles Operations and Control Centre — the first of its kind outside China. The 2,000-square-metre facility at Dubai Science Park was inaugurated by RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer and Baidu’s Yunpeng Wang.
The centre will manage autonomous ride-hailing operations starting in Q1 2026, with a fleet set to grow to 1,000 vehicles. It integrates command-and-control, simulation, training, and maintenance facilities, supporting safety testing, software updates, charging, and rapid operational response. Dubai’s RTA has also issued Baidu Apollo Go the first permit for fully autonomous vehicles on public roads without a safety driver.
