Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo Commence Fully Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service on Yas Island, Announce Phased Expansion Across Abu Dhabi

Rhea-AI Summary

Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) and UAE partner AutoGo launched a fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, available via the AutoGo app on Jan 17, 2026.

The partners secured a fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale to hundreds of vehicles by 2026, with phased expansion planned to Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands and a long-term goal to cover the wider emirate.

Apollo Go cites >240 million autonomous kilometers (over 140 million in fully driverless mode), 22 cities of presence, >17 million cumulative rides, and a weekly ride run-rate above 250,000.

Positive

• Secured fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025
• Launched public fully driverless rides on Yas Island
• Agreement to scale to hundreds of vehicles by 2026
• Apollo Go operational scale: 240M+ autonomous km, 140M+ fully driverless km
• Operational footprint: 22 cities, >17M cumulative rides, >250,000 weekly rides

Negative

• Initial service limited to Yas Island at launch
• Geographic roll-out is phased to Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands with no exact timelines provided

Key Figures

Autonomous km logged: 240 million km Fully driverless km: 140 million km Global cities: 22 cities +3 more

6 metrics

Autonomous km logged 240 million km Apollo Go global operations as of Oct 31, 2025

Fully driverless km 140 million km Completed in fully driverless mode by Apollo Go

Global cities 22 cities Apollo Go global footprint

Weekly rides 250,000 Apollo Go weekly ride count recently surpassed this level

Cumulative rides 17 million Apollo Go cumulative rides as of Oct 31, 2025

Deployment target year 2026 Goal to deploy hundreds of vehicles by 2026 in Abu Dhabi

Market Reality Check

Price: $161.44 Vol: Volume 3,248,821 is below...

normal vol

$161.44 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,248,821 is below the 20-day average of 3,522,206 ahead of this news. normal

Technical Price $149.53 is trading above the 200-day MA at $105.85, near the 52-week high of $154.29.

Peers on Argus

BIDU was up 0.09% while peers showed mixed moves: TME +1.34%, RDDT +1.10%, NBIS ...

BIDU was up 0.09% while peers showed mixed moves: TME +1.34%, RDDT +1.10%, NBIS +2.58%, PINS -3.39%, Z +0.48%, indicating stock-specific rather than sector-driven action.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 07 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 07	Autonomous permit Dubai	Positive	+0.3%	Dubai’s first fully driverless trial permit and new Apollo Go hub.
Jan 01	Kunlunxin spin-off plan	Positive	+15.0%	Proposed spin-off and separate Hong Kong listing for Kunlunxin.
Nov 18	Q3 2025 earnings	Positive	+2.7%	Mixed top-line with strong AI growth and positive non-GAAP profits.
Nov 13	AI product unveil	Positive	-6.4%	Launch of ERNIE 5.0 and multiple AI applications and metrics.
Nov 11	Abu Dhabi permit	Positive	-0.3%	Winning fully driverless permit and fleet expansion plan in Abu Dhabi.

Pattern Detected

Recent Baidu news often drew positive price reactions, though some major AI/product unveilings saw negative "sell-the-news" responses.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Baidu reported Q3 2025 results showing declining revenue but strong AI growth, while maintaining solid profitability metrics. Apollo Go has been a strategic focus, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai milestones, including fully driverless commercial permits and plans for hundreds of vehicles by 2026. A proposed spin-off of Kunlunxin in early 2026 was met with a strong positive reaction. Today’s Abu Dhabi service launch extends this international autonomous mobility push from permitting and planning into live commercial deployment.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement moves Baidu’s Apollo Go business from permitting into live, fully autonomous ride-...

Analysis

This announcement moves Baidu’s Apollo Go business from permitting into live, fully autonomous ride-hailing on Yas Island, with phased expansion across key Abu Dhabi districts. It builds on a history of international permits and growing scale, including 240 million km driven and 17 million cumulative rides. Investors may track user adoption via the AutoGo app, geographic rollout pace, and progress toward deploying hundreds of vehicles by 2026 as indicators of commercial traction.

Key Terms

fully autonomous, autonomous driving, robotaxi, smart city

4 terms

fully autonomous technical

"have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service"

A system described as fully autonomous can perform its intended tasks from start to finish without human control, intervention, or real‑time supervision — like a self‑driving car that navigates, decides and reacts on its own. For investors, the label signals potential for lower operating costs, new revenue opportunities and faster scaling, but also brings regulatory, safety and liability risks that can affect adoption, timelines and valuation.

autonomous driving technical

"marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East"

Autonomous driving is technology that allows a vehicle to navigate and control itself without a human constantly steering, braking or accelerating, acting like a robotic chauffeur that perceives the road, makes decisions and responds to traffic and obstacles. Investors care because it can change who makes money and how much—by cutting labor and operating costs, creating new software and data businesses, and shifting regulatory and liability risks that affect future revenue, adoption speed and company valuations.

robotaxi technical

"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone"

A robotaxi is a self-driving vehicle designed to transport passengers without a human driver. It operates autonomously, using sensors and computers to navigate roads and pick up riders, similar to a taxi service but without a driver. For investors, robotaxis represent a potential shift in transportation, promising lower costs and new opportunities in mobility services.

smart city technical

"advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision"

A smart city uses sensors, data, and connected technology to run services—like traffic lights, public transit, utilities and emergency response—more efficiently and responsively, similar to how a smartphone automates tasks for a user. For investors, smart-city projects can create new revenue streams, long-term service contracts and cost savings for municipalities, but also bring large upfront costs, technology and privacy risks that can affect returns.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

• Having secured the fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025, the partners have launched fully autonomous ride-hailing service via the AutoGo app.
• Initial operations cover Yas Island, with phased expansion planned for Reem, Al Maryah, and Saadiyat Islands.
• The launch marks a critical step toward the partners' goal of deploying hundreds of vehicles by 2026 and building Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet.

ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888) today announced that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, and AutoGo, a leading UAE-based autonomous mobility company, have officially launched the fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the emirate. The launch of the service, now available via the AutoGo app, marks a major milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving in the Middle East. The service has launched initially on Yas Island, where users in Abu Dhabi can now download the app to hail fully driverless rides.

The collaboration between Baidu's Apollo Go and K2's AutoGo began in March 2025, when they announced the partnership to build Abu Dhabi's largest fully driverless fleet. Building on that momentum, the companies secured one of the inaugural permits for fully driverless commercial operation in Abu Dhabi in mid-November 2025 and signed a next-phase agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026. With the service now available to the general public through the AutoGo app, the partners are actively advancing their goal of establishing the emirate's largest fully driverless fleet.

"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. "This speed of execution highlights the technical readiness of Apollo Go, the strong operational capabilities of our partnership, and the steadfast support of local regulatory bodies."

"AutoGo's transition to live robotaxi operations marks an important milestone in Abu Dhabi's autonomous mobility journey," said Sean Teo, Managing Director of K2. "Launching the service at the start of the year reflects our focus on execution and long-term value creation. 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."

The initial operation covers Yas Island, a premier leisure and entertainment hub in Abu Dhabi, now designated as a permitted zone for fully driverless operations. This service allows users to simply download the AutoGo app, request a ride, and experience a journey in a vehicle with no human driver behind the wheel.

Following the initial launch on Yas Island, the service will implement a phased geographic roll-out across Abu Dhabi. The expansion will begin with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island. Over time, the service will continue to expand across additional areas, with the long-term objective of operating across the wider Abu Dhabi emirate.

Apollo Go's rapid expansion into the UAE is backed by its industry-leading autonomous driving technology and proven real-world operational expertise. As a leading autonomous ride‑hailing service provider globally, Apollo Go has logged more than 240 million autonomous kilometers, of which over 140 million kilometers were completed in fully driverless mode. With a global footprint across 22 cities, Apollo Go's weekly ride count has recently surpassed 250,000, and the service has completed more than 17 million cumulative rides as of October 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Apollo Go and AutoGo will scale fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing services to reach more users and advance Abu Dhabi's smart city vision.

About Baidu
Founded in 2000, Baidu's mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under "BIDU" and HKEX under "9888." One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Media Contact
intlcomm@baidu.com

 

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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

FAQ

What did Baidu (BIDU) and AutoGo announce on January 17, 2026?

They launched a fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, available via the AutoGo app.

What permit allowed Apollo Go and AutoGo to operate driverless rides in Abu Dhabi?

The partners secured a fully driverless commercial permit in mid-November 2025 enabling public operations.

How large does the fleet aim to be for the Baidu-AutoGo Abu Dhabi service by 2026?

The companies signed an agreement to scale the fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026.

Where will Apollo Go and AutoGo expand after Yas Island?

The phased expansion plan begins with Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, and Saadiyat Island.

What operational scale does Apollo Go report supporting this launch?

Apollo Go reports >b240 million autonomous kilometers, >b140 million fully driverless kilometers, presence in 22 cities, >17M cumulative rides, and >250,000 weekly rides as of Oct 31, 2025.