Pony AI Secures Permit To Test Robotaxis In Dubai After Baidu

Autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai said on Friday that it has been granted a permit by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to conduct autonomous driving trials on the emirate's roads.

The China-based company announced that it has begun pilot testing in select areas, with the robotaxi service scheduled for commercial launch without a driver in 2026. The permit follows a partnership between Pony and Dubai’s RTA, announced in May, and marks a major step toward commercial deployment in the Middle East, the company said. Dubai intends to convert 25% of urban trips to autonomous transport by 2030.

Pony.ai’s rival in the robotaxi race, Baidu (BIDU), announced the receipt of a similar permit from Dubai RTA earlier this week.

Shares of PONY traded 3% lower on Friday morning at the time of writing. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around PONY fell from extremely bullish to bullish territory, while message volume fell from ‘extremely high’ levels.

Pony AI’s fleet had over 500 vehicles as of July, covering more than 2,000 square kilometres across Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

Last week, the company announced its entry into Singapore through a collaboration with ComfortDelGro to deploy autonomous vehicles. In May, the company also inked a partnership with ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies (UBER) as part of which its robotaxis will be deployed on the Uber platform, starting with a market in the Middle East later this year.

Additionally, the company is conducting on-road tests in Luxembourg and has launched 24/7 testing operations in Seoul's Gangnam.

PONY stock is up 44% this year and approximately 72% over the past 12 months. 

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