Robotaxi Atlas

Lit clusters: cities with public driverless rides. Rings: testing or announced.

Can I ride Pony.ai in Dubai?

Pony.ai began driverless robotaxi trials in Dubai in April 2026 and expects a public, fare-charging service later in 2026, but nobody from the public can ride today.

Status
Testing
Since
Last checked

Riding Pony.ai in Dubai

Pony.ai announced the trials in a blog post dated Apr 20, 2026. The cars run without a driver as a test, and riders can't book them. Pony.ai hasn't named a service area, booking app, launch date or price for Dubai.

For a robotaxi in Dubai now, use Uber. WeRide runs fully driverless, fare-charging rides through the 'Autonomous' option, and Apollo Go takes bookings in its own app and through Uber. Both serve parts of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

To ride Pony.ai specifically, the closest option is Doha, where a fare-charging pilot with Mowasalat has run in the Karwa app since Dec 2025 with trained safety operators onboard. Operator-free rides were shown to the public there only on Sep 7 to 9, 2026. The company's largest driverless service is in mainland China, in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing, with a fleet of 1,975 at the end of June 2026, and in Singapore rides on a fixed Punggol route are free in the Zig app.

The details

Status
TestingDriverless trials began in Dubai in April 2026. A public paid service is expected later in 2026.
Since
Apr 2026driverless trials began (announced Apr 20, 2026)

Other operators in Dubai

  • Apollo Go (Baidu)
    Driverless

    Since Mar 2026. Book in: Apollo Go app, Uber app.

  • WeRide
    Driverless

    Since Mar 31, 2026. Book in: Uber app.

Everything about robotaxis in Dubai

Timeline

  1. Pony.ai says it has begun driverless robotaxi trials in Dubai, with paid public service expected later in 2026. Source

Pony.ai in Dubai: questions

Is Pony.ai operating in Dubai?

Pony.ai is running driverless trials in Dubai, which began in April 2026, but has not opened rides to the public.

When will Pony.ai start public rides in Dubai?

Pony.ai expects to start a paid public robotaxi service in Dubai later in 2026. No date has been announced.

Where else in the Gulf can I ride Pony.ai?

In Doha, Pony.ai runs a fare-charging pilot with Mowasalat in the Karwa app, with trained safety operators onboard.

Sources

  1. Pony.ai blog: Pony.ai Advances Dual-engine Business Strategy with Dubai Driverless Robotaxi Deployment, Apr 20, 2026

"Reported" means one news report that the operator or a regulator hasn't confirmed yet.

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