News
Dubai Financial Center Launches Digital Economy Court
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Court will now be taking cases online using advanced new technologies.
These days, it seems as though virtually everything has shifted from the real world to the online space. From productivity and office apps, to cloud storage and industry-specific software, most sectors of the global economy now function without a reliance on bricks-and-mortar locations.
Although the legal profession has moved many of its administrative processes online, until recent years, court proceedings have largely been conducted the old-fashioned way — that’s to say, in person.
Now, it seems, even court hearings are being digitized, as the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has just announced the launch of the world’s first international court, aimed at settling digital economy disputes. The complex infrastructure of the new legal operation will be managed by judicial experts with wide international experience, and authorities claim that the platform will provide the best legislative environment for startups and digital economy enterprises.
“The world’s first international digital economy court will enhance the ability of global companies and institutions operating in the digital economy to adapt to the future requirements of this fast-growing sector,” says Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and President of DIFC.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Set To Invest $1 Trillion In The Real Estate Sector
A team of expert developers and international lawyers was tasked with building and standardizing the fully paperless platform, which will use AI and complex algorithms to help process the various forms and paperwork required by court officials.
The DIFC Courts formed a Digital Economy Court (DEC) Division back in 2021 to oversee difficult national and international cases. As technologies such as blockchain, AI, unmanned vehicles, and fintech services become increasingly complex and intertwined, new rules and regulations must be developed to manage and resolve legal disputes.
Dubai’s digital economy court represents a considerable milestone for the emirate and places the progressive, tech-first Dubai International Financial Centre at the heart of a global, fully interconnected economy.
News
AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs
Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.
AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.
The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.
“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.
The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.
To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.
Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence
Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.
Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.
