News

Dubai Plans To Deploy Driverless Pods And Green Rail Buses

The high-tech transport systems will facilitate eco-friendly, sustainable travel and reduce carbon emissions by as much as 50%.

Published

3 years ago

January 19, 2024

Nour Nasir

dubai plans to deploy driverless pods and green rail buses

Floww / Urban.MASS

Dubai is expanding its range of sustainable transportation options with the addition of autonomous pods and a solar-powered rail bus system. The forward-thinking move will complement the city’s already ambitious projects, such as flying cars and robotaxis.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with UK and US-based private companies to bring innovative transportation solutions to Dubai.

urban mass rta dubai partnership 1

The initial MoU was established with Urban.MASS, a UK-based firm, to explore the feasibility of deploying these new transportation systems. According to Abdul Mohsen Kalbat, CEO of RTA, the solar-powered rail buses will run on double tracks, facilitating swift and efficient movement throughout the city. During the initial pilot phase, authorities hope to reduce carbon emissions by an impressive 50%.

urban mass rta dubai partnership 2

The RTA has also partnered with Rail Bus, a US company, to introduce a sustainable transport system where vehicles travel on a bridge equipped with solar panels. RTA CEO Kalbat explained that the system will feature a contemporary design and be more cost-effective than similar transportation alternatives.

Also Read: Dubai Robot Maker To Triple Workforce And Build New Plant

Dubai’s vision for the future of transportation aligns with the city’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness and strengthens the Emitate’s reputation as a pioneer in modern urban mobility.

News

Samsung’s Fold Goes Wide, And The Whole Galaxy Range Gets Pricier

A new titanium build and a first-of-its-kind AI chip for wearables anchor the range, yet native Qi2 charging still isn’t part of the deal.

Published

3 days ago

July 23, 2026

Dana Saadeh

Samsung

Samsung has run its Galaxy foldable and smartwatch reveals in July for several years now, which is likely a deliberate way of jumping early on the autumn hardware calendar. The 2026 event stuck to the same timings, though prices climbed too, albeit unevenly: $100 on the Flip, a new $2,100 Ultra tier above last year’s flagship, and $30 to $50 on the watches.

At the top sits the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at $2,100, a slab that measures just 4.1mm open and carries a 200MP main sensor, a 5,000mAh battery and an 8-inch interior display. Beneath it, the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 8 makes the more interesting bet. Samsung has stepped away from the tall, narrow shape it spent recent generations refining: the Fold 8 folds horizontally, so it’s wider than it is tall, with a 4:3 interior screen that sits about 9mm wider than the Ultra when closed. It drops the telephoto lens but gains battery, at 4,800mAh.

The clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 8 rounds out the phones at $1,200, up from the Flip 7’s $1,100, which was itself up from the $1,000 Flip 5.

All three devices run the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and share a new Flex Titanium construction, a titanium alloy layer set beneath the flexible OLED that Samsung says strengthens display support, absorbs impact and reduces crease visibility. The progress has limits: none of the phones support Qi2 charging natively, 18 months after the Qi2-ready Galaxy S25. That means buyers will still need a magnetic case to get the most from a Qi2 charger.

The wearables move in the same upward direction. The Galaxy Watch 9 ($380 Bluetooth, $430 LTE) and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ($700) both run Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite, the first wearable chip with a dedicated Hexagon NPU capable of supporting AI models with two billion parameters. The Ultra 2 is 12 percent thinner than its predecessor despite an 800mAh battery and a display reaching 5,000 nits.

Also Read: Dubai Police Finishes 65 Projects, Says AI Is The Next Priority

Pre-orders open today. The devices are set to reach shelves on August 7.