The Abu Dhabi Investment Office has linked up with Archer Aviation, a California aircraft company, to start all-electric air taxi operations in the UAE in 2026.
The UAE capital is the first international launch partner of the US company.
Under the agreement, Adio aims to support Archer through incentives for setting up its first global headquarters and factory in the smart and autonomous vehicle industry cluster in Abu Dhabi.
Officials of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority have recently visited Archer’s headquarters in California to inspect its Midnight aircraft and learn about their certification progress with the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Our goal is to approve Archer’s air taxi to fly in the UAE as soon as it is certified by the FAA, and we are very excited to collaborate with them to bring electric air taxis to the country,” said the GCAA's director general, Saif Al Suwaidi.
Archer has raised more than $1.1 billion in funding so far, including investments from Mubadala Capital, United Airlines, Stellantis and Boeing.
It is working with industry partners across the UAE to support its plans to commercialise operations in the Emirates by 2026.
It has also signed an initial agreement with Falcon Aviation that will operate its air taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Archer also intends to build on its aircraft making and its centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi, which will be focused on developing and implementing next-generation aviation technology.
“Bringing electric aviation to the UAE will help unlock congestion with zero emissions and, in turn, bring millions in foreign direct investment and thousands of jobs to the region over the next decade,” said Adio's acting director general, Badr Al Olama.
The UAE has sought to become a leader in smart transport systems as part of its efforts to promote and integrate sustainability.
Smart travel is the integration of advanced technology and data-driven solutions to create efficient, sustainable and user-focused transport systems.
The global smart transport sector is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 21 per cent to about $404 billion by 2032, from $48.54 billion in 2022, data from Spherical Insights and Consulting shows.
“Archer plans to partner closely with Adio and the Department of Economic Development to bring manufacturing and operations for our air taxis to the region,” said Archer’s founder and chief executive, Adam Goldstein.
"We are positioned to be a driving force in making all-electric air taxis a reality in the skies of the UAE and beyond in the coming years.
Archer said its goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60 to 90-minute trips by car with estimated 10 to 20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise and cost-competitive.
The company’s Midnight aircraft is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.
“Through our asset management subsidiary Mubadala Capital, we have been an investor in Archer for several years,” said Meera Al Suwaidi, head of value creation at Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, Mubadala Investment Company.
“We are looking forward to working alongside them for the debut of their Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Air Show later this year, and to continue discussions on further expanding our collaboration.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
