Uber and Baidu announced on Tuesday that they will launch an autonomous ride-hailing service in Dubai next month, marking the latest move by the Chinese technology company to advance its global expansion.
The companies stated that fully autonomous vehicles will be available through the Uber app at designated locations in the Jumeirah area, with plans to gradually expand the service across the city based on operational progress and regulatory approvals.
The collaboration builds on a strategic partnership announced last year, which aims to deploy thousands of Baidu Apollo Go autonomous vehicles through the Uber platform in multiple international markets outside the United States and mainland China.
This initiative also represents a significant step for Uber in competing within the autonomous taxi market, as technology companies race to commercialize self-driving vehicles.
Baidu has been commercially operating its Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service in several Chinese cities since 2022, with a current global presence spanning 22 cities. As of last October, the service had completed over 17 million trips.
Baidu has also partnered with Lyft to deploy autonomous taxis in Europe. Last December, Baidu, Uber, and Lyft reached an agreement to launch a pilot program for driverless taxis in the UK this year.
Baidu noted on Tuesday that passengers booking Uber Comfort or UberX rides through the Uber app will have the option to be matched with an Apollo Go autonomous vehicle or select the "Autonomous" option directly within the app.
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