Pony.ai Advances Dual-engine Business Strategy with Dubai Driverless Robotaxi Deployment, Eyes Commercial Service in 2026
Pony AI Inc. (“Pony.ai”) (NASDAQ: PONY; HKEX: 2026) announced today that it has recently begun driverless Robotaxi trials in Dubai, marking a significant milestone in the company's deployment in the emirate.
This latest development also further advances the company’s collaboration with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in support of the city’s smart mobility ambitions. Pony.ai expects to launch public-facing, fare-charging Robotaxi services in the emirate later in 2026 with a fleet of hundreds of vehicles. The move to driverless testing follows months of on-road validation and will support continued evaluation of vehicle performance, refinement of service operations, and preparation for future commercial Robotaxi services in Dubai.
Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai, said: “Dubai marks an important milestone in Pony.ai’s global Robotaxi commercialization strategy. We are now moving into driverless operations in one of the world’s leading smart mobility markets. This milestone not only reflects the progress of our collaboration in Dubai, but also demonstrates how Pony.ai is scaling a proven Robotaxi model from China into international markets. We look forward to supporting Dubai’s vision for the future of transportation and bringing safe, reliable autonomous mobility to more users in the emirate.”
Since establishing its presence in Dubai, Pony.ai has worked closely with the RTA to advance autonomous driving deployment in support of the city’s 2030 smart city vision, which aims for 25% of local trips to be served by autonomous mobility solutions. Pony.ai aims to contribute a significant part for this commitment. In September 2025, the company obtained an RTA permit to conduct autonomous driving trials on public roads in the emirate. Since then, Pony.ai has expanded its testing footprint, gained operational experience across a broad range of traffic conditions, and laid the groundwork for fully driverless operations.
The Dubai milestone also reflects Pony.ai’s broader dual-engine growth strategy, under which the company is scaling its Robotaxi business across both domestic and international markets through a disciplined, partnership-driven commercialization model. The company has outlined a roadmap to expand its Robotaxi fleet to more than 3,000 vehicles across over 20 cities worldwide by 2026, with overseas markets expected to account for roughly half of those cities. Building on commercial progress in China, including the deployment of its seventh-generation Robotaxis and unit economic breakeven in two major cities, Pony.ai is now extending a business model validated in its home market to additional international markets.
Supporting this next phase of growth is a joint deployment model built on ecosystem partnerships. Leveraging its strengths in autonomous driving technology, mass production, and service operations, Pony.ai works with partners that contribute local operational capabilities and vehicle funding support, while both parties share operating revenue. The model is designed to accelerate expansion in a more capital-efficient manner and is already gaining traction in China and overseas, supported by collaborations including Pony.ai’s partnerships with Uber and Verne in Croatia, as well as expanded work with Toyota, Chenqi Mobility, and ATBB.
About Pony AI Inc.
Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates Pony.ai's proprietary software, hardware, and services, Pony.ai is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, East Asia, the Middle East and other regions, ensuring widespread accessibility to its advanced technology.
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