Shares of Baidu (BIDU) received a boost following the rollout of its fully autonomous Apollo Go robotaxis on Uber's platform in Dubai. Baidu stock finished the regular session up 2.20% at $92.87, before moving slightly to $92.75 in pre-market trading.
Dubai Partnership Marks International Debut
Dubai serves as the inaugural market for the collaboration between Baidu and Uber. The integration allows passengers in designated zones, such as the Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah neighborhoods, to request autonomous rides through the Uber application. Vehicle operations for this initial rollout are managed by New Horizon Luxury Transport.
Riders requesting UberX or Uber Comfort trips in eligible areas may be matched with Apollo Go robotaxis, or they can specifically select the Autonomous category in the app. These vehicles operate in a fully driverless mode without human safety operators.
The service area is planned to expand gradually as Baidu advances its deployment in Dubai. This launch falls under a multi-year framework agreement intended to bring thousands of Apollo Go units to various international territories.
Regulatory Milestones and Global Expansion
Baidu initially introduced commercial driverless rides through its own Apollo Go application in Dubai in March 2026. This followed a regulatory achievement in January 2026, when Apollo Go secured Dubai's first permit for driverless testing without onboard safety personnel.
The partnership combines Baidu's autonomous driving technology with Uber's ride-sharing infrastructure, providing Baidu with an additional distribution channel. The broader collaboration between the two companies was first unveiled in July 2025.
Globally, Apollo Go operates across 28 urban areas, having accumulated more than 350 million kilometers of autonomous travel, with completely driverless operations accounting for over 240 million of those kilometers. Baidu has reported safety metrics for the fleet, noting an average of approximately one airbag deployment per 14.4 million kilometers traveled as of June.
