Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National

Gitex 2024: Dubai Taxi Company partners with Bolt and is open to using driverless cars in future


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai Taxi Company has partnered with the European mobility company Bolt, boosting its consumer reach as part of a smart-platform expansion strategy that includes the potential addition of autonomous vehicles to its fleet, its chief executive has said. The company does not have a time frame but is keeping an eye on developments in the sector touted to be the future of sustainable transport, Mansoor Alfalasi said at the Gitex Global technology conference in Dubai on Tuesday.

"We are exploring opportunities still. We are also in contact with the regulator, the Roads and Transport Authority, and we'll see how it goes," he told The National. "Of course the future is autonomous taxis. We are exploring this opportunity. Still, it [requires] a lot of regulation, to make sure it's safe for people and when we are ready, of course we're going to announce it for the people."

Bolt currently does not have autonomous vehicle services. However, in 2019 the company teamed up with the University of Tartu to develop self-driving solutions, and in 2023 it partnered with its fellow Estonian firm Starship Technologies for autonomous food and grocery deliveries. Driverless vehicles gained further traction last week when Elon Musk introduced Tesla Motors' first fully-autonomous vehicles, the Cybercab and Cybervan, at a much-hyped event in Los Angeles.

"Self-driving cars are going to absolutely change the world ... it makes a lot of value for self-driving car companies to partner with leading ride-hailing networks, rather than build up all of this infrastructure we've been building for the last 10 years in terms of technology," Markus Villig, founder and chief executive of the Estonia-based Bolt, told The National.

Dubai Taxi's partnership with Bolt marks the latter's entry into the UAE, and would support the RTA's goal of making 80 per cent of taxi hailing done through online bookings in the coming years, the companies said in a joint statement. Operations will kick off with limousine and taxi services, with Bolt's range of mobility solutions, including food and grocery delivery, scooter and e-bike rental, and short-term car rental, planned to be introduced in the future, Mr Villig said. The Bolt UAE app is also available in Arabic.

That would mean Dubai Taxi and Bolt could eventually rival Dubai's Careem, the home-grown start-up that rose from ride-hailing to a do-it-all, billion-dollar app, and Uber Technologies, the US company widely regarded as having brought online ride-hailing into the mainstream. "This will be a very good exercise for us to shift people from other platforms into ours ... and also we are going to leverage the size of our fleet, an asset no one else owns," Mr Alfalasi said, referring to Dubai Taxi's 6,000-strong fleet in Dubai – estimated to be half of the emirate's taxi pool.

Bolt is also looking into more Middle East markets for expansion, Mr Villig said. It has been operating in Saudi Arabia since 2017. "The ambition for us is to grow significantly in the region and become the most popular platform here in the whole region as well," he said.

Mobile apps have become a part of daily lives and activities, and start-ups have continued to develop innovations to further enhance their functionality. All-in-one apps take this several steps further, integrating several services within the same app.

Apps such as those for ride-hailing have added more services to give extra incentive to users. The global ride-hailing market alone is projected to hit about $248.3 billion by 2030, from an estimated $153.3 billion in 2023, growing at a compound annual rate of more than 6 per cent, data from Prescient and Strategic Intelligence shows.

Executives from Dubai Taxi Company and Bolt at Gitex Global in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: Dubai Taxi Company
Executives from Dubai Taxi Company and Bolt at Gitex Global in Dubai on Tuesday. Photo: Dubai Taxi Company

Meanwhile, the UAE aims to become a leader in smart mobility systems as part of its efforts both to boost sustainability and adopt the latest technology. Dubai began supervised testing of driverless vehicles on its public roads in October last year after US self-driving tech company Cruise, which is backed by General Motors and Honda Motor, was issued with a trial permit.

In Abu Dhabi, Uber will begin using self-driving cars from China's WeRide later this year, it announced last month. The UAE capital already has its own fleet of driverless taxis on Yas Island run by TXAI, the UAE's first driverless taxi service. During 2022's Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, TXAI operated a driverless bus service to carry fans.

Electric air taxis are expected to begin operating in Dubai during the first quarter of 2026, the RTA confirmed last month. Dubai Taxi and Bolt did not discuss their partnership's potential impact on their bottom lines.

"This long-term strategic partnership with Dubai Taxi will ... reduce the need to use a private car which will have a positive impact on the emirate and the people living here," Mr Villig said.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD

Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm

Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds

Top speed: 202kmh

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

Price: From Dh122,900

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

While you're here
High profile Al Shabab attacks
  • 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
  • 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
  • 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
  • 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
  • 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
  • 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin-turbocharged%204-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E542bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E770Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C450%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Updated: October 16, 2024, 2:26 AM`