Flying taxis are expected to be used in Saudi Arabia's major tourist sites and developments in the next years as the kingdom presses forward with its modernisation plans.
The flying taxi will enter the market by 2026, and will be used in major protects such as the futuristic city of Neom and the historic tourist site AlUla, Saudia Airlines announced on Monday.
"We are very close to achieving our goals. We have successfully done the tests in Neom," a source from the aviation ministry told The National.
Volocopter will be the sole operator of the first public transit routes for the residents of Neom.
The plan for Neom envisages residents living in communities without cars, with public transport and autonomous vehicles the main forms of travel.
Flying taxis will be one form of transport available, according to Neom's plans.
"That includes high-speed public transit, shared electric and autonomous mobility, but also electric urban air mobility – electric vertical take off and landing aircraft – that can take people and connect them to this wonderful environment that we have in Neom, greatly reducing the need for roads and surface mobility," Florian Lennert, head of mobility at Neom, said in an official statement.
In the race for air mobility, Saudi Arabia is working to meet the sustainable goals listed under the kingdom's Vision 2030 development plan.
The kingdom aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 by reducing carbon emissions, investing in new energy sources, and developing a carbon capture and storage programme.
French engineering and consulting firm Setec Group is also working on sustainable urban air mobility in the kingdom and is one of many French companies working in AlUla.
The development of AlUla is part of Vision 2030, which aims to bolster its position as a major international destination for culture and tourism.
In 2021, Neom and German company Volocopter established a joint venture to scale advanced air mobility.
They successfully tested the flying taxis last year.
Volocopter aircraft will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, generated by solar and wind energy sources.
“The successful test flight of a Volocopter eVTOL is a tangible example of Neom as a global accelerator and incubator of solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges," Nadhmi Al Nasr, chief executive of Neom, said in a statement:
"Driving the development of smart, sustainable and safe mobility systems will improve livability and connectivity in cities around the world and reduce carbon emissions, creating a cleaner future for all.”
Volocopter expects to obtain certification of its VoloCity air taxi in 2024, Neom officials said.
Flying taxis for Hajj
Saudi Arabia plans to launch air taxis to take Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from King Abdulaziz airport in Jeddah to hotels in Makkah, state media announced on Saturday.
The transfer of pilgrims "will be carried out with maximum speed and highest quality", the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
The logistics will be managed by Saudia, the kingdom's national airline.
Last year, Saleh Al Jasser, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport, said flying taxis would be tested during Hajj in the coming years.
The taxis will operate from Jeddah airport to the pilgrims' hotels in Makkah directly at a premium fee, not yet disclosed by officials.
Last year, Saudi Arabia witnessed a return to pre-Covid Hajj figures with almost 2 million Hajj pilgrims who performed the ritual in 2023.
According to Tawfiq Al Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, the numbers of Umrah pilgrims reached a record 13.5 million last year.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team
Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The%20Beekeeper
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
The five pillars of Islam
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Avatar%20(2009)
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
