Baidu's Apollo Go Secures Dubai's First Autonomous Driving Permits, Boosting Stock

Baidu stock jumps after Apollo Go secures Dubai autonomous driving permits By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:BIDU) stock surged 6.3% on Wednesday after the company announced its autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go, received Dubai's first autonomous driving trial permit along with 50 test licenses. The permits, granted by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in July, allow Apollo Go to deploy a 50-vehicle fleet in designated areas of urban Dubai. The company has already begun trials on open roads since August, making it the only platform currently permitted to conduct self-driving trials in the city. This development follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Apollo Go and the RTA earlier this year. Looking ahead, the companies plan to expand the autonomous fleet to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles by 2028, supporting Dubai's vision for autonomous mobility adoption. The Dubai permit represents a significant expansion milestone for Apollo Go, which was also granted Hong Kong's first autonomous driving test license in November 2024, marking its entry into right-hand-drive markets. Apollo Go brings considerable experience to Dubai, having logged 200 million kilometers of safe driving and provided 14 million autonomous rides to the public in China, where it operates fully driverless urban services. The announcement was made at the 4th Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, where Apollo Go is showcasing its sixth-generation autonomous vehicles (RT6) for exclusive trial rides. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Baidu Shares Rise on Robotaxi Progress in Dubai

Chinese tech company Baidu's shares were boosted by news its robotaxi business was granted 50 autonomous-driving test licenses in Dubai. It's Hong Kong-listed shares gained 5.5% in early trade Thursday, outperforming the Hang Seng Tech Index's 1.5% rise. Baidu's ADRs closed 5.8% higher in the U.S. overnight, bringing their year-to-date gains above 57%. Investors were cheered after Baidu said late Wednesday that its robotaxi unit Apollo Go received Dubai's first autonomous driving trial permit, as well as 50 test licenses. Apollo Go's 50-strong fleet of robotaxis has been conducting open-road trials in designated areas since August, the company said in a statement. "Leveraging our autonomous driving technologies and fleet operation expertise, we will conduct all required testing and operations to enable seamless localization," said Liang Zhang, managing director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo. Baidu aims to expand its fleet size to more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles by 2028. Chinese robotaxi firms have been expanding overseas in recent months as they look for new markets to grow their fleets. Pony AI, WeRide and Baidu's Apollo Go--considered the Big Three of China's robotaxi sector--all have a footprint in the Middle East because of how open the region is to to autonomous driving. Nasdaq-listed WeRide partnered with ride-hailing giant Uber for its Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi services while Pony AI, which also trades on the U.S. index, is launching driverless taxi services in Dubai. Dubai aims to have 25% of all transportation trips in the city be "smart" and driverless by 2030.