Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has issued the city's first autonomous driving trial permit and the first batch of 50 license plates to Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous mobility platform. According to the company, the permit was granted in July, and Apollo Go has been conducting open-road tests in designated areas of Dubai since August. The RTA previously announced a memorandum of understanding with Apollo Go in April, planning to launch large-scale road trials in 2025, paving the way for subsequent commercialization. It should be noted that the reference to "first permit" is primarily based on company announcements, and the RTA website has not yet published a press release for that date.
During the fourth Dubai World Autonomous Driving Congress (DWCT) on September 24-25, Apollo Go claimed to be the only platform conducting trials on public roads, offering limited rides in its sixth-generation RT6 model. Multiple industry reports and company press releases indicate that, based on the current testing and collaboration roadmap, Dubai and Apollo Go plan to expand to a fully autonomous fleet of over 1,000 vehicles over the next few years, with some channels targeting 2028. These plans are forward-looking, and the specific pace and regulatory approvals are subject to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this the first autonomous driving permit officially confirmed by Dubai?
A: This statement comes from Apollo Go's press release and relayed reports. The RTA official website has not yet released a confirmation draft on the same day, but it did announce a memorandum of understanding for road testing cooperation with Apollo Go in April.
Q: When will the 50 test license plates be put into use?
A: Multiple sources reported that the license was granted in July and open road testing began in designated areas in Dubai in August.
Q: Is it accurate to say that the conference site is “the only open road trial operation platform”?
A: According to company press releases and quotations from multiple financial media outlets, Apollo Go conducted trial runs on open roads and offered limited test rides during the DWCT period, while other exhibitors were mostly venues or exhibits. There have been no public reports refuting this.
Q: What is the sixth-generation model RT6 mentioned?
A: RT6 is Apollo Go's sixth-generation unmanned platform model, used for the trial operation and test ride demonstration on open roads in Dubai.
Q: What is the timeline for 1,000+ fully unmanned vehicles?
A: Many reports and company press releases mentioned expansion targets in the "next few years" or "by 2028." These are forward-looking plans, and their implementation depends on the progress of technical verification and regulatory approval.
