The move will help Baidu internationalize its driverless car business, while Uber will gain a proven partner to take on autonomous driving rivals.

Baidu is the latest addition to Uber's growing list of autonomous vehicle partners, which includes Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony AI.

Baidu’s autonomous vehicles will be available on the Uber app in Asia and the Middle East later this year, the companies said in a statement Tuesday. Thousands of vehicles will be deployed as part of the partnership, the companies said. Future rollouts will also include Europe and Oceania, an Uber spokesperson said.