Baidu’s Apollo Go and K2’s AutoGo have launched fully autonomous ride-hailing on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Available via the AutoGo app, the public can now hail rides in vehicles with no human driver on this leisure hub.
The move follows their mid-November 2025 permit for driverless operations and a March 2025 partnership to build the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) largest such fleet.
Phased rollout will extend to Reem Island, Al Maryah Island and Saadiyat Island next.
The partners target to have hundreds of vehicles by end-2026 to advance the emirate’s smart city goals.
“Moving from an initial partnership agreement to launching live, fully driverless operations for the public in a span of just a few months is a remarkable milestone,” said Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo.
“By introducing robotaxi services in real urban environments and scaling across key districts, we are moving decisively from development to deployment — delivering autonomy that is practical, safe, and ready for everyday use,” said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2.
Entelechy Asia 