CaoCao has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with K2, an Abu Dhabi government-owned AI technology company, to deploy its first robotaxi fleet in the UAE. Testing and validation will begin in Abu Dhabi this year, marking an accelerated phase of Middle East expansion for the Geely Holding Group-backed autonomous mobility platform.

Under the agreement, K2 will provide testing environments, operational infrastructure and access to its local mobility ecosystem, while CaoCao contributes purpose-built vehicles, technical support and professional training for operators. The collaboration is structured to support commercial deployment in the UAE before extending to additional markets.

The deal follows CaoCao’s earlier strategic cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and consolidates Abu Dhabi’s role as the company’s primary anchor point for its Middle East expansion programme. Both parties have also signalled intent to pursue broader cooperation in autonomous driving across further regions.

CaoCao serves as the primary commercialisation platform for Geely Holding Group’s RoboX strategy, targeting the deployment of 100,000 robotaxis and 100,000 Robovans globally by 2030. The company’s first purpose-built robotaxi is scheduled for mass production in 2027, with the UAE deployment representing one of the first international milestones under that programme.

Why this matters:

• Abu Dhabi is becoming a preferred entry point for Chinese AV operators going global.WeRide already runs fully driverless commercial services there; CaoCao’s choice of the same market suggests the emirate’s regulatory environment and government-backed partnership structures offer a lower-friction path to international deployment than most alternatives.
• K2’s government ownership changes the nature of the partnership.A state-backed AI company providing testing infrastructure and operational resources is a different proposition to a commercial fleet operator—it implies institutional backing for the deployment that could accelerate permitting and smooth operational hurdles in ways a private partner could not.
• CaoCao is moving on multiple fronts simultaneously.Within days, the company has announced a European expansion partnership with May Mobility and a Middle East deployment with K2. The sheer pace suggests the Geely-backed RoboX strategy is now in active execution rather than planning, though the gap between signed agreements and commercial scale remains considerable.