Baidu and Uber have struck a multi-year agreement to place thousands of Baidu’s Apollo Go self-driving vehicles on the Uber platform in markets outside the United States and mainland China. The companies said the first deployments are expected later this year in parts of Asia and the Middle East, allowing Uber riders to opt for a fully driverless trip when requesting certain rides. Baidu Chief Executive Officer Robin Li described the accord as a “major milestone” in scaling the company’s Level-4 autonomous technology globally, while Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the tie-up would help shape the future of mobility by expanding affordable and reliable ride-sharing options. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed. Investors welcomed the news: Baidu's Nasdaq-listed shares jumped 8.7% to US$93.30 on 15 July, while its Hong Kong-traded stock rose 1.7% to HK$89.15. Apollo Go has so far completed more than 11 million rides across 15 cities and already operates over 1,000 driverless vehicles worldwide. The alliance deepens Uber’s push into autonomous vehicles after recent collaborations with Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility and Pony AI, and comes as Tesla widens its U.S. robotaxi trials. Baidu, meanwhile, plans to deploy at least 1,000 robotaxis in Dubai by 2028, underscoring the accelerating race to commercialise driverless transport.