Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Seaglider… 

We’re currently living in a world where speed is everything. If a webpage takes three seconds to load, it’s frustratingly slow. If the Careem doesn’t get to our location in five, we throw a Dubai ‘Jumeirah-Jane’ like tantrum. If our food order is more than 20 minutes away, the hangry intensifies.

So when it comes to traveling between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, what we all want is a speedy transit. Where we don’t find ourselves sitting in the back of a taxi or a bus zooming by nothing but endless sand dunes. We do have the Etihad Rail coming up, but the launch date is set for 2030, and that’s way too far off.

However, we’ve just learned about a new mode of transportation at the World Government Summit, which you’ll be thrilled to know about.

Say hello to the Seaglider

Seaglider dubai to abu dhabi map

An impressive piece of tech that will transport you from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 30 minutes.

The new mode of transportation was unveiled by Billy Thalheimer, founder and CEO of Regent Craft. This, however, isn’t the first time we’ve come across the Seaglider.

We last spoke about the sea gliders back in April 2024. Back then, however, it was developed with a goal to transfer passengers from the Abu Dhabi mainland to popular destinations, including Sir Bani Yas Island and Delma Island.

But now, it looks like we can expect to use the mode of transportation between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And if you think it will cost as much as a flight to Saudi Arabia, think again because a trip will set you back just Dhs165.

So, what exactly is a Seaglider?

In short, the seaglider is a fully electric vehicle that is a cross between a glider (a light aircraft) and boat. It combines the speed of an aircraft with the accessibility of a boat and is designed for travel between coastal cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It essentially uses the ‘wing-in-ground effect’ – a technology that has been around for over 60 years. It will be able to travel up to speeds of 290kph cutting down travel times.

While we all can’t wait to try it out, the Seaglider is currently in the testing phase, and we can expect to be using this cool mode of transportation in two years.

We wonder if we can use our nol card…

Want more?

RAILBUS in Dubai

The Seaglider wasn’t just the only futuristic transportation unveiled at the World Government Summit.

We also learned about the RAILBUS, a sustainable future mass transit system powered by solar energy that will transport people across the city through a network of bridges. Read more here.

For all the cool upcoming modes of transportation coming to the UAE, visit this link here.

Images: Regent Craft