News

Saudi Arabia To Transform Downtown Riyadh By 2030

By 2030, the massive development project will add $48 billion to the country’s GDP and generate more than 334,000 jobs.

Published

1 year ago

February 21, 2023

Nour Nasir

saudi arabia to transform downtown riyadh by 2030

Public Investment Fund

Saudi Arabia has announced ambitious plans to transform downtown Riyadh into a major global mega-city. To make the project a reality, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the New Murabba Development Corporation (NMDC) to aid planning and construction.

The 19 square kilometer site to the northwest of Riyadh will be designed from the outset as a smart and sustainable downtown area, able to hold 20 buildings the size of New York’s trademark Empire State building.

According to the state news agency SPA, the NMDC’s civil engineering project will have over 80 cultural and entertainment venues, a technology and design university, a museum, and an immersive multi-use theater when completed in time for Expo 2030, which Saudi Arabia could potentially host.

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The New Murabba project will be centered around sustainability and feature green areas, plus walking and cycling paths to enhance the quality of life and promote healthy, active lifestyles. As well as significantly boosting the well-being of Riyadh citizens, it’s hoped that by 2030, the project will have added $48 billion to the country’s GDP and generated 334,000 jobs.

News

Joby To Establish All-Electric Air Taxi Ecosystem Across The UAE

The comprehensive agreement with Abu Dhabi’s government includes a training program, infrastructure development, and a manufacturing presence.

Published

2 days ago

May 1, 2024

Nour Nasir

joby to establish all-electric air taxi ecosystem across the uae

Joby Aviation

All-electric aircraft company Joby Aviation has secured three separate agreements with departments of Abu Dhabi’s government that lay the groundwork to develop and scale air taxi services in the Emirate and beyond.

The deal was signed at the recent DRIFTx thought-leadership and exhibition platform and gave Joby exclusive rights to not only operate air taxi services in Dubai but also unlock inter-emirate services between Abu Dhabi.

joby air taxi partnership abu dhabi

Joe Ben Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said: “Today’s agreement demonstrates the incredible momentum behind the adoption of clean flight across the UAE. We’re looking forward to delivering a fantastic experience for our future customers in Abu Dhabi and we’re excited to be unlocking the potential for zero-emissions flight between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We’re grateful for the support and collaboration of our governmental partners and the entire ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and we remain deeply impressed by their commitment to building out a world-class aviation ecosystem in the Emirate”.

Joby’s all-electric aircraft went on display for the first time in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina at the DRIFTx event. The air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour (321 km/h). The zero-emission craft is said to have an extremely low acoustic footprint and can travel a maximum of 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge.

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Once operational, Joby’s air taxi fleet would enable fast, clean travel across the UAE, with journeys between Abu Dhabi to Dubai taking just 30 minutes compared with two hours by car during peak times.

Joby continues to work closely with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to help the Emirates become a world leader in the introduction of air taxis. Additional testing and analysis will be required before inter-emirate travel becomes a reality, but the cutting-edge technology already appears to have great potential.