Dubai is jockeying for a position to be among the first, if not an actual world-first, to offer eVTOL air taxi services. In February, the government granted Joby Aviation exclusive rights to the local market for a period of six years, and in recent months the manufacturer has indicated that it expects to start operations in the UAE before services start in major U.S. cities such as New York City and Los Angeles.

Three months ago, Joby applied to the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for an air operator certificate, having already secured one in the U.S. Last month, Joby and partners Skyports and the Dubai Road and Transport Authority started construction of a vertiport at Dubai International Airport.

This is one of four locations in an initial air taxi network that will also include Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown. A flight from the airport to the Palm Jumeirah resort area is expected to take 10 minutes, avoiding a drive of about 45 minutes.

Joby's four-passenger aircraft will have a range of around 87 nm and cruise at speeds of up to 174 knots. The eVTOL manufacturer is now at an advanced stage of the FAA type certification process, with GCAA expected to validate that approval under bilateral agreements.

But Joby doesn’t have a lock on the advanced air mobility (AAM) aspirations of the Gulf states. Not to be sidelined, Abu Dhabi officials have given the green light to both Joby and its rival Archer Aviation, which is in the process of completing FAA type certification for its four-passenger Midnight aircraft. The emirate has established the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industries cluster to act as a magnet for AAM investment.

Abu Dhabi Bids for a Piece of the AAM Action

An agreement signed in April calls for the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to commit several hundred million dollars to lay the groundwork for air taxi services operated by Archer’s local affiliates Falcon Aviation and Air Chateau. According to Archer's third quarter letter to investors published on November 7, commercial flights will begin in Abu Dhabi during the fourth quarter of next year. Just over a year ago, Air Chateau, which operates heliports in the UAE, signed an agreement covering the purchase of 100 Midnight aircraft worth $500 million. 

Last month, Archer stepped up its efforts to get established in the Gulf, appointing Talib Alhinai as its UAE Lead. Alhinai previously served with the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, which reports to the emirate's Executive Council. He will continue to serve as a board director of the UAE's General Aviation Authority and on its audit and risk committee.

Joby has its own memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport. This covers possible air taxi operations in the emirate and in other undisclosed locations.

China’s EHang has an agreement with ADIO calling for a strategic collaboration in support of commercial operations with its two-seat autonomous EH216-S eVTOL. The company has also established its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

In May, the Multi-Level Group, a financial technology subsidiary of Ethmar International Holding (EHI) and ADIO, confirmed that they are supporting EHang’s efforts to enter the Gulf market. EHI subsidiary Wings Logistics Hub said it intends to buy up to 100 EH216-Ss.

European companies, including Lilium, have also been working to get traction in the Middle East AAM sector. The German company, which is currently operating under insolvency administration, is represented in the region by its exclusive sales representative, ArcosJet, which has been involved in business aircraft sales since 2014.

Saudi Arabia Signals eVTOL Ambitions

Among the 780 provisional sales agreeents Lilium has reported for its six-passenger eVTOL aircraft, are 50 orders and 50 options placed by Saudia. The Saudi Arabian flag carrier said it had planned to operate the Lilium Jet on routes of up to about 95 nm for services that could include carrying visitors for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

Another German manufacturer, Volocopter, has its sights set on Saudi Arabia, where futuristic projects such as the Neom “smart city” development on the country’s Red Sea coast are expected to include AAM services. In June 2023, Volocopter flew a technology demonstrator for its two-seat VoloCity eVTOL at a government-backed event.

In May, both Joby and Embraer spin-off Eve Air Mobility launched new partnerships in Saudi Arabia, covering aircraft sales and support arrangements. Saudi government officials have repeatedly signaled their enthusiasm to facilitate AAM development to match initiatives being pursued by their Gulf state neighbors.

Aloula Aviation, a subsidiary of oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco, signed an MoU covering an unspecified number of Joby aircraft. The company, which already operates 55 aircraft at 13 airports and has network of more than 300 helipads, also agreed to act as an intermediary with the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation to support efforts for Joby to achieve local type certification and other approvals.

Also during the Future Aviation Forum in Saudi capital Riyadh, Eve signed an agreement under which Saudia Technic could provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul support for its four-passenger eVTOL. The manufacturer is exploring the possibility of Saudia getting involved in reassembling aircraft for the local market.

Cargo Deliveries Could Go Electric

Also in the UAE, express delivery group UPS is preparing to experiment with electric aircraft through an agreement with U.S. company Beta Technologies. Last year, the UAE Regulations Lab granted the U.S.-based carrier a temporary license to start trial operations with Beta's Alia 250 aircraft. UPS intends to use the CX300 version, which operates in conventional takeoff and landing mode, before possibly switching to the Alia 250 VTOL model that Beta is developing.

In October, the FAA released the long-awaited special federal aviation regulation covering operational and pilot certification requirements for eVTOL aircraft. The document spells out what operators of the first new “powered lift” aircraft will have to adhere to, including key topics such as energy reserves governing range and requirements for training the thousands of pilots needed to staff eVTOL air services.

The Gulf states generally rubber-stamp FAA certification requirements for aircraft. What remains to be seen is whether authorities in the region may be willing to show some latitude over operational rules to fast-track early use cases.

This year, the wider context for the AAM sector has been a wave of consolidation that has seen a reduced number of prominent eVTOL aircraft developers pull away from underfunded companies. At the same time, some manufacturers are consciously pursuing a longer timeline to commercialization that could materialize in a second wave of market entry toward the end of the 2020s. These would include players such as Hyundai-backed Supernal, Airbus' CityAirbus NextGen program, and Boeing subsidiary Wisk Aero, which is developing a fully autonomous eVTOL.