Tech heavyweight Baidu Inc and US-based ride-hailing service provider Uber Technologies Inc have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to deploy thousands of Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform across multiple global markets outside of the US and the Chinese mainland.

This collaboration will focus on increasing the supply of affordable and reliable ridesharing options by bringing Baidu's autonomous vehicles onto Uber's extensive network.

The first deployments are expected in Asia and the Middle East later this year. After launch, if a rider requests a qualifying Uber trip, they may be presented with the option to have their trip fulfilled by a fully driverless Apollo Go autonomous vehicle.

"We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale," said Robin Li, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Baidu.

"We look forward to working with Uber to deliver safe and efficient autonomous mobility solutions to riders around the world."

Currently, Apollo Go deploys an operational fleet of more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles globally, with its global footprint spanning 15 cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.