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Pure Electric Expands To UAE, Boosting Micro-Mobility Sector
Backed by a McLaren partnership, the company’s latest e-scooter range aims to redefine urban mobility.
Pure Electric, a leading UK-based e-scooter brand, recently entered the UAE market, marking its first step into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. With further expansion plans targeting Saudi Arabia and other GCC nations, the company is set to revolutionize urban micro transport across the Middle East.
The brand’s full-scale UAE launch is a significant milestone in its international growth strategy. Pure Electric is bringing its latest range of innovative e-scooters to the region, designed to offer a practical alternative to traditional city travel, while helping reduce congestion and pollution.
A Vision For Smarter Urban Mobility
Adam Norris, founder of Pure Electric, emphasized the importance of this expansion: “This launch into the UAE is a pivotal moment within our global expansion plan. It reflects our commitment to the micro-mobility sector and our dedication to providing a sustainable, safe, and enjoyable solution to urban travel”.
The company’s entry into the region is being spearheaded through a strategic partnership with Harris Qureshi, who will lead Pure Electric’s operations in the GCC.
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“I am thrilled to spearhead Pure’s expansion across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider GCC region. We are introducing the world’s best e-scooters to this dynamic market […] Our mission is to enhance urban mobility and contribute positively to the region’s sustainable transport landscape,” Harris Qureshi explained.
Innovative Design And Engineering At The Forefront
Pure Electric’s e-scooters are the result of in-house engineering from the company’s team of experts, with a rider-centric approach that challenges traditional design. Key features of the latest models include:
- A natural forward-facing riding position to enhance stability and comfort.
- An ultra-portable Pure Flex model designed for city living, easily fitting into car trunks, public transport spaces, or small home storage areas.
Further solidifying its reputation, Pure Electric has also partnered with McLaren, the legendary motorsport and supercar brand, to create the Pure X McLaren 2024 collection. The collaboration blends Pure’s cutting-edge e-scooter technology with McLaren Automotive’s precision engineering and expertise in hybrid power.
News
Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict
Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.
Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.
“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.
The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.
The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.
Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.
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The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.
So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.
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