8 transportation systems coming to the UAE

From driverless cars to a rail that will connect all seven emirates and more…

We have several upcoming megaprojects to look forward to in the UAE, from brilliant new hotel openings to cool historic museums, man-made island developments, malls and much more. Additionally, we have plenty of new transportation systems coming to the UAE that we can’t wait for.

Now, as we already know, the UAE is home to several public transportation systems including water taxis, the Dubai Metro, a tram system and a monorail, but it will be home to much more.

Here are 7 transportation systems coming to the UAE

UAE

Etihad Rail

One of the UAE’s most ambitious travel projects is the 1,200km long Etihad Rail network. The massive project will stitch the seven emirates together but has plans for future ambitions that extend beyond our borders into the rest of the GCC.

The rail system will transport both cargo and passengers and as announced by Etihad Rail – ‘The National Rail Network is complete’ and commercial freight operations have already begun. As for the passenger trains, we may have to wait a while but we are checking for updates from this project and posting important milestones here.

Dubai

Driverless taxis

In 2021, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai announced the signing of an agreement between Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Cruise, a leading US-based autonomous vehicle company that will operate self-driving taxis and ride-hailing services in the emirate. The agreement supports Dubai’s 2030 vision for self-driving technology. It also makes Dubai the first non-US city in the world where Cruise will commercially operate these vehicles.

These self-driving vehicles are expected to significantly improve road safety levels as over 90 per cent of accidents are due to human errors. The vehicles are all-electric, environmentally friendly and capable of serving a wide range of clients from different community segments, including seniors and people of determination.

The latest update on driverless cars was earlier this December when His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai went on the first test ride of Cruise autonomous electric vehicle. Tests will continue and RTA will soon announce a registration process allowing selected members of the public to use the Cruise ride-hailing app to experience.

Flying taxis

Dubai: In February 2023, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai confirmed models of aerial taxi stations developed by the RTA. The initial launch will connect four main areas of Dubai: Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa area), Dubai Marina, Dubai International Airport, and Palm Jumeirah. According to the Dubai Ruler, the emirate will commence its aerial taxi service by 2026. The taxis can go up to 300km per hour at top speed and can accommodate up to four passengers with one pilot. Read more here.

Dubai to Abu Dhabi: Archer Aviation has recently revealed that the UAE could have flying taxis as early as 2025. The aviation team have joined hands with Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation to develop a network of vertiports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for a launch planned for next year. The flight time? As little as 30 minutes as opposed to your current 60 to 90-minute commute. Read more here.

Ras Al Khaimah: Dubai and Abu Dhabi aren’t the only cities exploring this new air mobility as Ras Al Khaimah has also just confirmed its plans to introduce air transport to the emirate by 2027. We’ve been told the flying taxis from Al Marjan Island to Jebel Jais in RAK will take just 20 minutes. Read more here.

Driverless pod rail system

At Gitex Global 2024, Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled plans for another new way to get around town, that could see us saying goodbye to sitting in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic. The Floc Duo Rail is a self-driving, futuristic-looking electric pod rail system, and could become a hassle-free way to travel around Dubai. It will be able to operate both suspended in the air and on the ground, and could help passengers get either from A to B, or be used to take multiple passengers from certain points to other transport networks, such as the Dubai Metro. Read more here.

Sky Pods

These dangling cable car-looking contraptions are more correctly titled “Suspended Transport Systems”. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE approved the 65km long network as part of Dubai’s Smart Mobility Strategy. The service will connect Umm Suqeim Street, Al Khor and Zabeel. Manufacturers claim it can reach speeds of up to 150kph and because they’re group transit and solar-powered, they can be five times as energy efficient as current-gen electric vehicles. Read more here.

Electric abra

In May 2023, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that it had begun trial operations of the ‘First Autonomous Electric Abra’. According to HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, the aim of launching the electric abra is to ‘convert 25 per cent of the total mobility journeys in Dubai into self-driving journeys by 2030′. The electric abra will have reduced noise, zero carbon emissions and can operate and run fully ‘autonomous procedures independent of the captain’. The abra will be able to detect obstacles in the navigational path and intervene to avoid a crash during the journey and can even notify the control centre of deviations from the operating plan. Read more here.

Sharjah

Sky Pods

Sharjah’s high-speed electric sky pods will not only transport passengers between the emirates but also cargo at speeds of up to 100kmph.

The Sky Pods are a hanging transport system made up of individual unicars connected by a long cable suspended above the ground.

Tests are still being conducted at The Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP). After successful testing, Sharjah will announce the construction of its routes within Sharjah city with plans for the pods to connect with other emirates to follow.

Hyperloop

The journey from Dubai and Abu Dhabi can take up to two hours by road. With the arrival of the Hyperloop though, passengers can travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in just 12 minutes.

The train can reach speeds of up to 1,000 km per hour which is three times faster than high-speed rail and more than 10 times faster than traditional rail. An animated video shared by Virgin Hyperloop in January 2022 shows exactly what it will be like to ride the super-fast transport. Read more here.

Not much has since been announced about this project and we are unsure if the project is shelved, however, plans to develop the passenger line in Italy (by 2029) may get the interest going again.

Images: Social/Supplied