Follow the trade, investment and partnerships bringing China and the UAE closer together.
Baidu Apollo Go and WeRide have launched fully driverless commercial operations in Dubai, supporting UAE plans to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles by 2027. Baidu Apollo has also partnered with Egypt's Ministry of Transport to launch robotaxi trials in Cairo involving 30 vehicles.
Chinese autonomous driving firm Baidu Apollo launched its commercial driverless robotaxi service in Dubai on October 7, 2026. The launch marks the company's first operational commercial venture in the Middle East. The initiative supports Dubai's strategic objective of achieving 25 percent driverless transport by 2030.
The Postal Corporation of Kenya has partnered with China-based Vnlin Logistics Technology to establish a regional cross-border e-commerce logistics hub in Nairobi. The collaboration includes plans for automated sorting facilities, digital customs clearance, and exploring three weekly 100-tonne freighter flights connecting Nairobi with commercial centres in China, Hong Kong, and Dubai.
Asia-Pacific real assets manager ESR has announced an expansion into the Middle East, targeting a $10 billion development pipeline in logistics and digital infrastructure. The initiative initially targets the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to develop scalable warehouses and data centres. ESR is currently negotiating with regional strategic partners and securing land positions.
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