News

ALJ & Joby Aviation To Bring Electric Air Taxis To Saudi Arabia

The partnership will explore introducing up to 200 electric aircraft to the Kingdom, revolutionizing urban mobility, and supporting Vision 2030 goals.

Published

1 year ago

June 10, 2025

Nour Nasir

Joby Aviation

Abdul Latif Jameel, a renowned 80-year-old multi-sector business group, and Joby Aviation, a leader in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly introduce and distribute electric air taxis in Saudi Arabia. The partnership aligns closely with the renewed economic collaboration between the U.S. and the KSA, emphasizing shared innovation and sustainable transportation.

The initial phase of the project could see the delivery of up to 200 Joby electric aircraft and related services, with a value of approximately $1 billion, over the coming years. The long-term vision extends beyond Saudi Arabia, with both companies recognizing broader potential for regional expansion across the Middle East.

This agreement builds upon an existing relationship, as the Jameel family previously invested in Joby’s Series C funding round, which was led by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2020. The collaboration reflects both companies’ mutual commitment to sustainable, efficient, and affordable air travel, as well as enhancing passenger experiences, and significantly reducing environmental impact.

Joby Aviation’s electric air taxi, capable of transporting four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph, operates with zero emissions and substantially less noise than traditional helicopters. The aircraft is expected to commence commercial passenger operations in Dubai in 2026.

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, highlighted the significance of the partnership: “This collaboration is about bringing America’s leadership in electric air mobility to the world. Together with Abdul Latif Jameel, we’re not just imagining a cleaner, safer, more efficient future — we’re building it. And there is no better partner to help unlock the extraordinary opportunity for air travel in the region”.

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Hassan Jameel, Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, emphasized Saudi Arabia’s strategic shift towards modern mobility solutions: “Saudi Arabia is transitioning toward a new era of mobility — on-demand, shared, connected, and sustainable. eVTOL is an exciting and important component of this transformation. We look forward to collaborating with Joby to advance the Kingdom’s mobility sector”.

In addition to distribution and sales collaborations, the partnership will also explore launching local air taxi services, developing essential maintenance and repair infrastructure (MRO), and establishing pilot training facilities. These initiatives directly support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by fostering economic growth, innovation, and employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.

News

LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE

Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2026

Joanna Melki

luved is a new curated preloved marketplace for the uae

Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.

The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.

Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.

An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.

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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.

The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.