Uber's Robotaxi Push Gains Pace in Dubai: Baidu's Vehicles Debut

Uber Technologies UBER announced that Chinese company Baidu’s BIDU fully autonomous Apollo Go vehicles are available to riders through the former’s platform in Dubai, with New Horizon Luxury Transport operating the fleet. The rollout strengthens Uber’s position in the autonomous-vehicle market and represents an important step in the global expansion of driverless transportation. Dubai is the first launch location under the companies’ multi-year strategic partnership, which aims to deploy thousands of Apollo Go vehicles across Uber’s worldwide network.

Dubai riders booking an UberX or Uber Comfort trip may now be matched with a fully driverless Apollo Go vehicle. Customers can also choose the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app to improve their chances of securing a robotaxi. Initially, the service will operate in select areas of Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah, with coverage expected to expand over time.

Uber’s global head of autonomous, Sarfraz Maredia, described the Dubai launch as a significant step in its efforts to expand autonomous mobility worldwide. Baidu’s vice president Nan Yang said the rollout represents an important milestone in its partnership, with Dubai serving as the starting point for the broader expansion. Dubai is also the first international market where Baidu has introduced both self-operated and partner-operated autonomous ride-hailing services.

The service uses Apollo Go’s sixth-generation RT6, a purpose-built, fully electric robotaxi developed for completely driverless operations. Each vehicle can accommodate up to three passengers and is equipped with more than 30 sensors that monitor its surroundings and process data onboard in real time.

Apollo Go has established operations across 28 cities worldwide. Its fleets have traveled more than 350 million autonomous kilometers, including over 240 million kilometers in fully driverless mode.

Uber emphasized that safety remains a central priority. Baidu’s Apollo Go vehicles, like all autonomous vehicles operating through Uber’s network, must comply with its safety guidelines before entering service.

Uber currently works with more than 30 autonomous-vehicle partners and facilitates millions of autonomous trips annually. The company is developing a hybrid transportation network in which driverless vehicles and human drivers operate alongside one another to make mobility more affordable, sustainable and accessible.

Uber aims to gain a stronghold in the robotaxi market through strategic partnerships. By adopting this approach, Uber has avoided the massive R&D costs of developing autonomous systems in-house. In 2020, Uber sold the self-driving division but retained its focus on becoming the ultimate ride-hailing super app.

In line with its partnership-driven strategy, Uber, in collaboration with another Chinese company, WeRide WRD, announced earlier this year plans to introduce commercial robotaxi services in the Greater Zurich Region. This move represents their second joint deployment in Europe, coming just weeks after the announcement of a similar initiative in Madrid.

Since December 2024, WeRide and Uber have introduced robotaxi services across several Middle Eastern markets, including fully driverless commercial operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as public services in Riyadh. These deployments provide an operational foundation for their European expansion.

UBER’s Share Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Shares of UBER have gained in low double digits (% wise) over the past three months. Consequently, UBER’s shares outperformed the Zacks Internet-Services industry over the same time frame.

3-Month Price Comparison

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From a valuation standpoint, UBER trades at a 12-month forward price-to-sales of 2.52X. UBER trades at a discount compared with its industry.

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See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Uber’s earnings has been revised over the past 90 days.

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UBER's Zacks Rank

UBER currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.  

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