Talks are under way to begin manufacturing a revolutionary "flying car" in Sharjah, a project that centres on a vehicle that can function on the road and in the air.
Developed by Dutch company PAL-V, it was shown at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park this week as Robert Dingemanse, the company's chief executive and co-founder, spoke of the vehicle's potential.
What is the flying car?
PAL-V describes its creation as a "fly-drive" vehicle, or an advanced air mobility solution.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has formally issued a "no technical objection" certificate for the vehicle, called the PAL-V Liberty, a hybrid of a three-wheeled car and a gyroplane.
The decision represented a significant step forwards for the company's goal of launching commercial operations in Europe and around the globe. It features two combustion engines, a maximum flight range of 500km, a top speed of 160kph, and requires about 150 metres of runway for take-off. It is expected to be priced at about $800,000.
Once airborne, it flies like a conventional aircraft but can land, fold its rotor system, and be driven like a standard car.
“It offers real door-to-door mobility, not station-to-station,” said Mr Dingemanse. “It’s faster, safer, and more economical than helicopters. Most importantly, it uses existing infrastructure and regulations, so it’s ready for deployment.”
The rotor system, which resembles that of a helicopter, is actually unpowered and functions like a steerable parachute in case of engine failure. “This safety feature, combined with its dual-engine set-up, makes the PAL-V one of the safest and easiest-to-learn personal aircraft available today,” he said.
From rescue missions to tourism
While the concept has captured the public imagination as a luxury item, Mr Dingemanse said the vehicle was designed with real-world applications in mind.
“More than 50 per cent of our order book is from government and business clients,” he said. “Emergency response units, doctors, police officers, they will be able to reach remote or crisis locations faster and more efficiently.”
Talking about the collaboration, Hussain Al Mahmoudi, chief executive of the park, said it continued a long-standing partnership with the Netherlands in sustainable technology and innovation. “The flying car is a natural fit for the kind of advanced mobility projects we have been championing,” he told The National.
SRTIP previously made headlines with its sky pod initiative, an innovative system of driverless suspended rail cabins tested in 2024 as a future mode of urban transport.
“We are proud to be backed by a robust ecosystem of more than 20 educational institutions, including the American University of Sharjah,” Mr Al Mahmoudi said. “We are also equipped with cutting-edge facilities such as 3D printing labs capable of producing metal, plastic and titanium components.”
The park is hoping to take the flying car from concept to reality and Mr Al Mahmoudi said there had been talks about establishing an assembly and development centre for the vehicle in Sharjah.
“We aim to create opportunities for innovation, provide technical training, and hands-on development, while empowering Emirati talent to play a leading role in shaping the future of advanced mobility in the region,” he said. “We want this technology developed here, not just promoted. Our infrastructure, labs and student population make us ideally positioned to become a regional hub for this breakthrough.
“Our goal is to transfer knowledge, build skills, and provide opportunities for the next generation of Emirati innovators.”
Taking to the skies
The global advanced air mobility market is expected to reach a value of up to $2.9 trillion by 2040, as innovations which once seemed a flight of fancy are set to propel a bold new era of transport.
Flying taxis are expected to hit the skies of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the coming months.
US company Archer Aviation has identified the Corniche, Saadiyat Island and some areas of Abu Dhabi city as among the most promising places in which to run its electric air taxi service, as it gears up for a commercial launch before the year's end.
Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer at Archer Aviation, told The National that a network would be revealed in "the near future”.
The company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange as ACHR, is working with Abu Dhabi authorities to make the city the first where the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft service, called Midnight, is publicly available.
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Richard Jewell
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Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
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Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
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On sale: Deliveries start in October
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
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Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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