Figures dated from RTA and Dubai Media Office primary releases. Live inventory counts update from the cars we track. This page is a living tracker: when RTA publishes a newer program snapshot, we refresh the dated numbers and the update log.
Dubai’s commercial autonomous taxis are already carrying paying riders in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah. Buying a Tesla here does not put you in that fleet. On a UAE Mulkiya the honest driver-assist envelope is still Basic Autopilot. City robotaxis are operator products under RTA partnerships. Your private car is a different product with different paperwork.
We still track every Tesla listed for sale in the country. Model Y inventory right now: 231 · listed now · as of Oct 6, 2026. Browse asking prices on our UAE price index and the live stock on Buy Tesla.
Start where you are
What is actually on the road in Dubai
In late March 2026, Dubai’s RTA opened commercial autonomous taxi service in Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah with Apollo Go and WeRide. Those are the neighborhoods RTA named for commercial ops. Official releases do not publish a street-level geofence we can redraw here. If both your pickup and drop-off sit in the live area, the booking app is the final check.
Tesla is not the commercial robotaxi operator in Dubai. City robotaxis do not unlock Full Self-Driving on a UAE-registered Tesla.
Operators and how to book
Dubai’s commercial autonomous taxis are operator fleets under RTA partnerships.
| Player | Role | Vehicle (stated) | Book via | Local fleet partner | Safety status (dated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Go (Baidu) | AV stack + ride-hail brand | RT6 (6th gen; RTA cites more than 40 sensors) | Apollo Go app; from 20 Aug 2026 also Uber (UberX/Comfort match or Autonomous) | Dubai Taxi Company (app path); New Horizon Luxury Transport (Uber path) | First fully driverless trial permit Jan 2026; commercial fully driverless from Mar-Apr 2026 frame |
| WeRide | AV stack | Robotaxi GXR (operator IR) | Uber Autonomous | Tawasul Transport | Supervised public pilot Dec 2025 to fully driverless fare-charging commercial late Mar 2026 |
| Pony.ai | RTA partner / trials | Gen-7 (RTA MoU restatement) | Not a Mar 2026 commercial launch operator | Not named for public booking | Test/partner status in RTA releases; company has said public fare-charging later in 2026 |
| Uber | Booking app | n/a (app) | Autonomous option (and UberX/Comfort may match Apollo Go) | n/a (app) | Platform, not the AV stack |
Earlier milestones that staged the commercial lane: Apollo Go’s first fully driverless (no safety driver) trial permit and Dubai Science Park ops center (RTA, 8 Jan 2026); Sheikh Hamdan’s launch of official RT6 ops (5 Feb 2026), paving the way for the Q1 public commercial frame.
Fleet figures, dated and scoped
These numbers are not competing headcounts for one fleet. Keep the scopes separate.
| As-of | Scope | Figure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2025 | Pilot: Apollo Go + WeRide + Pony.ai in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim | More than 60 vehicles | Pilot (Media Office) |
| 30 Mar 2026 | RTA combined commercial phase-1 (Apollo Go + WeRide) | About 100 autonomous taxis | Phase-1 deployment (RTA) |
| 2 Apr 2026 | Apollo Go + Dubai Taxi Company year-1 plan | 50 year 1; path to more than 1,000 over following years | Plan (Media Office) |
| 19 Aug 2026 | RTA Robotaxi program snapshot | 144 fleet / 48 active / about 50 trips per day / more than 4 million km / 7,613 passenger trips / 97% satisfaction | Latest official program KPI we have (RTA; Media Office and WAM restated) |
RTA has not published a clean Apollo-vs-WeRide split of the Aug 144/48 snapshot. WeRide’s “more than 200” Middle East figure is regional, not a Dubai-only count.
Rollout geography and DAZ context
Commercial live (named): Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah. Still the neighborhoods named in Aug 2026 Uber Apollo Go coverage.
Ops pin (not a passenger zone by itself): Dubai Science Park hosts the Apollo Go operations and control center (about 2,000 m²). That is an ops hub, not an extra commercial neighborhood.
DAZ: The Dubai Autonomous Zone / Self-Driving Transport Zone announced around Sep 2025 is a multi-modal ambition corridor around Al Jaddaf Metro, Dubai Festival City, and Dubai Creek Harbour (about 15 km² in Media Office briefing language). That is a different map from the Jumeirah / Umm Suqeim commercial taxi launch. For DAZ detail see What we know about the Dubai Autonomous Zone.
Dubai’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy aims to raise the share of autonomous trips from about 20.4% (Sep 2025 briefing baseline) to 25% by 2030 and 36% by 2040. That is a city ambition line. It does not set an entitlement date for private Mulkiya cars.
The separate Dubai Loop page covers the tunnel project. That corridor is a different build from the robotaxi fleet.
Timeline (milestones)
- 2 Apr / 15 Jun / 6 Jul 2025: RTA partnerships and MoUs with Apollo Go, Uber/WeRide, and Pony.ai (safety-driver trials in 2025, driverless commercial path in 2026).
- 24-26 Sep 2025: Congress / DAZ model; three companies piloting more than 60 vehicles in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim; operational test permits.
- 11-12 Dec 2025: WeRide public pilot on Uber with a specialist on board.
- 8 Jan 2026: Apollo Go first fully driverless trial permit; Science Park ops center.
- 5 Feb 2026: Hamdan launches official RT6 ops; public commercial path in Q1 2026.
- 30-31 Mar 2026: RTA commercial ops (Apollo Go + WeRide); WeRide fully driverless fare-charging on Uber.
- 1-2 Apr 2026: DTC + Apollo Go fully driverless commercial via Apollo Go app (50 / 1,000+ plan).
- 19-20 Aug 2026: RTA program snapshot 144/48; Apollo Go also available on Uber via New Horizon.
How that differs from Tesla FSD on a UAE plate
On a UAE-registered Tesla, the honest envelope today is Basic Autopilot. Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and Enhanced Autopilot stay off for UAE plates. That gate is regulatory. For entitlements, listing checks, and HW3 vs HW4 roadmap detail, see our FSD and Autopilot in the UAE page. Dubai’s commercial robotaxis are operator fleets under RTA. Your Mulkiya car is a separate product.
If a used listing advertises “FSD activated,” verify the entitlement on the car screen, ask whether it stays with the VIN after transfer, and price an unverified claim at zero. Autopilot on every UAE Tesla means Basic Autopilot. Highway assist stays on; the RTA robotaxi fleet stays a different product.
What I’d still do as an owner or buyer
City AVs do not rewrite the used-Tesla decision here. I would still buy the car for the drive, the charging map, and the resale path I can verify. A day-one FSD fantasy is the wrong reason to pay up.
- Prefer HW4 for a multi-year hold. Both HW3 and HW4 run Basic Autopilot today. HW4 is the forward computer when (if) regulator clearance ever lands. See Tesla hardware cliffs in the UAE.
- Do not pay for mythical FSD day-one. Default any “FSD activated” premium to zero unless the four checks on the FSD page clear in writing.
- Inventory still matters. Live counts and asking bands live on tesla-prices-uae and buy-tesla. We do not hand-type medians on this page.
- Know where the commercial AVs run. Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah are useful commuting context. They are not a reason to pay more for a private Mulkiya Tesla.
If you mainly want to try the car before buying, rent first. Our Dubai rent spoke is rent a Tesla in Dubai.
Tracker update log
| Field | Current (as of 6 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Latest official program KPI | 19 Aug 2026 (144 fleet / 48 active / ~50 trips/day / >4M km / 7,613 trips / 97% satisfaction) |
| Zones live (named) | Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah |
| Commercial operators | Apollo Go, WeRide |
| Trial / partner (not Mar commercial launch) | Pony.ai |
| Apps | Apollo Go app; Uber Autonomous (WeRide + Apollo Go from 20 Aug 2026) |
| Fleet partners | DTC; Tawasul; New Horizon |
| Changelog | Expanded living tracker published 6 Oct 2026. Latest official program KPI remains 19 Aug 2026 (144 fleet / 48 active). |
Dubai robotaxi and Tesla owner questions
Is there a Tesla robotaxi operating in Dubai?
No. Dubai’s commercial autonomous taxis run under RTA partnerships with Apollo Go and WeRide. Tesla is not the commercial robotaxi operator in Dubai. Buying a UAE Tesla does not enroll the car in that fleet.
How many robotaxis are on the road?
Use dated scopes. RTA’s latest program snapshot (19 Aug 2026) is 144 vehicles in the fleet with 48 active. That is separate from the March 2026 phase-1 figure of about 100, and from Apollo Go / DTC’s year-one plan of 50. Keep those figures in their own dated scopes.
Can I book an autonomous taxi in Dubai today?
In the RTA-named neighborhoods (Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah), yes, through the Apollo Go app and/or Uber’s Autonomous option, subject to live app availability for your full trip.
Does Full Self-Driving work on a UAE-registered Tesla now?
No. The honest envelope is Basic Autopilot. Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and Enhanced Autopilot are not enabled for UAE plates. Details live on our FSD and Autopilot in the UAE page.
Is Pony.ai running commercial robotaxis in Dubai?
Pony.ai is an RTA AV partner and has been in the testing picture. It was not named as a commercial launch operator in the 30 Mar 2026 RTA commercial release (Apollo Go and WeRide were). Treat later-2026 commercial claims as company intent until RTA names a commercial start.