Abu Dhabi Hosts Middle East’s First Passenger Drone Trials

In recent years, Abu Dhabi has become a pioneer and champion of smart and sustainable mobility, attracting industry-leading startups and experts from around the world. The first Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, held between 24th April and 1st May 2024, showcased this innovation while also hosting the Middle East’s first-ever passenger-carrying drone trials.

Multi Level Group (MLG), a pioneer of “advanced automation and digital transformation solutions”, teamed up with Abu Dhabi Mobility to present an exhibition of cutting-edge drone technology, which included two test flights. The first showcase featured a five-seater drone with a 25 km range and potential payload of up to 350 kg, while the second involved a smaller drone able to carry two passengers up to 35 km for around 20 minutes.

Mohammed Hamad Al Dhaheri, a Multi-Level Group board member, made history at the mobility expo by becoming the first person in the Middle East to board an eVTOL for a demonstration flight. Al Dhaheri explained to the press that future plans also involved manufacturing passenger drones in the UAE: “starting with drone structure and gradually moving forward until we manufacture small parts such as motors and batteries, ensuring the technology is fully developed and exported from the UAE to the world”.

Also Read: UAE Stores May Soon Accept Payments Through Your Palm

The milestone test flights represent a significant addition to Abu Dhabi’s achievements in the drone and micro-mobility sectors. The emirate’s forward-thinking strategy is rapidly making it a global hub for smart and autonomous vehicles while plans continue at pace to develop a sophisticated infrastructure for driver and pilot-less vehicles.