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Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi plans air taxis, new tech in Gulf

Uber is looking to bring autonomous vehicles, air taxis and drones to the Gulf, betting that governments there will move faster than many Western markets to approve the technology.

“So the Middle East, especially if you look at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, they are on it.” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview with the “Invest Like the Best” podcast. “The regulators are very entrepreneurial, you know.”

Khosrowshahi said autonomous vehicle services are already operating in parts of the UAE and suggested broader deployment across the region could come sooner than in cities such as New York and Boston, where regulatory approval is expected to take longer.

The Middle East push comes as Uber expands its autonomous transportation business globally, with commercial robotaxi operations now underway in Europe and pilot programs expected in London soon.

Dubai taps Baidu as first to conduct driverless vehicle tests

Apollo Go, the ride-hailing platform owned by China’s Baidu, will be the first company to test fully driverless vehicles in Dubai, after receiving a permit from the emirate’s Road Transport Authority.

The authorization comes as Baidu officially launched a hub for autonomous vehicles in downtown Dubai, which includes charging and maintenance facilities and will eventually serve as a command center for a fleet of more than 1,000 robotaxis.

Uber and WeRide launched driverless taxis in parts of neighboring emirate Abu Dhabi in November.

Both emirates have ambitious plans for driver automation, with Dubai targeting 25% autonomous total transportation by 2030 and Abu Dhabi setting a similar goal for 2040.