Dubai-based investment company Seed Group plans to roll out digital vehicle registration plates in the region by the end of this year, its chief executive said.
"We have executed successful POCs [proof of concepts] with Dubai Police and RTA [Roads and Transport Authority] … outcomes are encouraging and we are on the right track," Hisham Al Gurg told The National. "Digital plates will be launched once we get final approvals from the authorities, including the federal and local governments."
Seed Group, a company of the Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, has teamed up with California-headquartered technology firm Reviver Auto and will invest Dh250 million ($69.4m) in the first phase of the project, Mr Gurg said.
The GCC will be the first market outside the US where Reviver’s digital plates, called RPlate, will be launched. Seed Group is also working in parallel to introduce them in North Africa, South Africa and Malta.
RPlate transforms the stamped metal licence plate into a sleek, digital and high-definition display. The technology can automate vehicle registration renewals and add new levels of personalisation to the licence plate that includes promoting charitable causes or a favourite sports team, Mr Al Gurg said.
“It will also add capabilities such as geofencing, monitoring trips taken and miles travelled,” he added.
Motion sensors in the RPlate let users monitor the vehicle remotely through the app and alert them if the vehicle is bumped in a parking lot or if a car is stolen. The location of the car can be easily tracked by police.
Regulators can digitally manage the vehicle’s registration and other compliance processes. Driver behaviour and location can also be monitored through the sensors. Since the display is digital, the content can be adjusted to convey additional information and status details.
“Our POC is already approved in Malta. It will be the first European market to have digital plates once our discussions are finalised with the Maltese authorities,” said Mr Al Gurg.
“This is one of the most disruptive and visionary projects undertaken by Seed Group. Digital plates hold the potential to impact many industries such as security, transport, technology and entertainment … making them more secure, connected, responsive and agile,” he added.
Seed Group, which acts as a springboard for global start-ups that are willing to expand into Dubai and the wider Middle East, has invested in diverse sectors such as technology, cyber security, healthcare, FinTech, tourism and hospitality.
“Out of Dh250m, nearly Dh50m budget is earmarked for the UAE launch … [we] intend to launch by the end of the fourth quarter or early next year. As technology develops and we see more emerging use cases, we will inject more capital, but it will be decided at the later stages of the project,” he added.
"We chose [the] UAE as our second market due to its focus on innovation and technology … the country is focusing on connected vehicle strategies for some time and the digital plate will be a good compliment to their strategic initiatives," Robert Wood, president and chief executive of Reviver, told The National.
Reviver has teamed up with Seed Group because of their “relationship with the local authorities and the forward-looking plans”, Mr Wood said.
“Seed Group has led a number of technology and innovative initiatives over the years … we have a good chance of advancing the project and overcoming any political and operational obstacles that may come up,” he added.
RPlate has been approved by the US government for sale in California and Arizona.
Additional features will include amber and weather alerts, automated parking, paying toll taxes, marketing capabilities and much more, Reviver said on its website.
“The metal licence plate is a 19th-century feature of 21st-century vehicles. In it, we see untapped opportunities for motor vehicle administrations and vehicle owners,” Neville Boston, founder and chief security officer of the company, said.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
RESULTS
1.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winners: Hyde Park, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh72,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh64,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Obeyaan, Adrie de Vries, Mujeeb Rehman
4.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
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Sunday's games
All times UAE:
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, 4pm
Manchester City v Arsenal, 6.15pm
Everton v Watford, 8.30pm
Chelsea v Manchester United, 8.30pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
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Sector: Water technology
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
