China's Robotaxis Hit the Streets of Dubai

Chinese technology companies have launched the first fully driverless taxi services in the Middle East. Baidu's Apollo Go began taking bookings in Dubai on April 1. This is the first international use of its self-driving ride-hailing platform. Just two days earlier, another Chinese firm, WeRide, started a similar service. It partnered with Uber to offer robotaxis through the Uber app in Dubai. These vehicles operate without a human safety driver. The moves mark a major expansion for China's autonomous vehicle sector into the Gulf region.