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Futuristic Electric Self-Driving Trucks Are Coming To The UAE
Startup Einride is about to begin its expansion into the Middle East.
Einride, a Swedish startup and pioneer in electric autonomous freight transport, is expanding into the Middle East. The move follows a collaboration agreement with the government of the United Arab Emirates to accelerate the transition to sustainable logistics and shipping.
Founded in 2016, Einride has a grand vision to decarbonize the freight industry by developing an entire ecosystem of electric and autonomous vehicles, charging stations, and connectivity networks.
The Scandinavian firm is already operating in Europe and the United States and will soon add over 550 km of its autonomous logistics ecosystem to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. The project, known as Falcon Rise Grid, will encompass 2,000 electric trucks, of which 200 will be fully autonomous. Einride will develop the project over the next five years, which will include the installation of 500 charging points and other network hardware.
“This collaboration gets to the core of what Einride provides — the transformation to effective and sustainable shipping that is fully electric,” announced Einride founder and CEO, Robert Falck. The startup, which has already partnered with the likes of Coca-Cola and Oatly, says its clients have reduced emissions by up to 95% while staying competitive.
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The UAE’s Falcon Rise Grid project follows a series of expansions for Einride over the past year, including Germany, Benelux, and the UK. In 2019 the company became the first to deploy an autonomous electric vehicle on a public road in Sweden, and in 2022, received approval to do the same in the United States.
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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
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The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.