Chinese firm Xpeng Aeroht has demonstrated its flying car in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National
Chinese firm Xpeng Aeroht has demonstrated its flying car in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National
Chinese firm Xpeng Aeroht has demonstrated its flying car in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National
Chinese firm Xpeng Aeroht has demonstrated its flying car in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National

Flying car demo in Dubai 'signals new era of personal flight'


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

A flying car has completed its first flight in Dubai to mark the start of Gitex, the UAE’s biggest technology exhibition.

Unveiled by Chinese company Xpeng Aeroht, the land-based mother ship and autonomous passenger drone aims to make light work of travelling over mountains or across the toughest coastal terrain. Gitex, an annual event in the emirate, will open at Dubai World Trade Centre on Monday.

A brief flying demonstration over Palm Jumeirah on Sunday evening revealed the vehicle’s capabilities and its potential to be used in an emergency response to crisis situations in remote areas.

Michael Du, vice president of Xpeng Aeroht, said the launch signalled a new era in passenger flight. “Flying by itself is cool and I believe now the era of personal flying is taking off,” he said. People might choose the vehicle to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai given the speed of the journey compared to travelling by road, he added.

“Due to the complexity and extended infrastructure needed, flying has yet to enter the daily life of everyone," Mr Du said. "Today, we are actually standing on the shoulders of four giants; electrical vehicles, intelligent driving, as well as big data and intelligent management."

The company says it has already received 600 orders for flying cars across the Middle East, taking total global orders beyond 7,000.

A two-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is launched from inside a six-wheeled ground vehicle, which is also capable of recharging the aerial vehicle. While the ground module serves as a transport vehicle and an energy platform, it is also a mobile storage unit allowing for take-off and landing, regardless of challenging terrain or weather.

The vehicle’s developers, Xpeng Aeroht – which is being rebranded as Aridge – claim the single-stick control system makes the flying car user-friendly, with controls relatively easy to learn for pilots. They also manage rate of ascent and speed, with attitude and altitude stability checked by the flight control system.

On-board technology includes electronic fencing for boundary protection, to keep the module safely within designated flight zones.

Meanwhile, a long range A868 electric flying vehicle is being designed for the business market, with a range of about 500km and a top speed of 360kph.

The Land Aircraft Carrier on display ahead of the Gitex conference, which takes place this week in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National
The Land Aircraft Carrier on display ahead of the Gitex conference, which takes place this week in Dubai. Pawan Singh for The National

Taking flight

This is the fifth generation of the Xpeng drone. A similar X2 flying vehicle took to the skies of Dubai in a demonstration flight at Gitex in 2022.

The so-called ground vehicle mother ship can carry four passengers and has been described as a lunar rover for Earth. At 5.5 metres long, 2 metres wide and 2 metres tall, it fits comfortably into standard parking spaces and most garages, and requires no special storage, making it ideal for everyday use, its makers say.

It is due to undergo mass production to make the vehicle widely available around the world. A factory capable of such output opened in Guangzhou, China, in October 2024. It can produce 10,000 of the vehicles a year. The plant will also manufacture the air module for the combined vehicles.

The Gulf region is a crucial market for the sector, said a senior figure from Xpeng who was present at Sunday's launch.

Last month, the UAE was granted a special flight permit, suggesting the flying cars could soon become a regular sight. The vehicle has already received Chinese Civil Aviation Type Certification.

Boston Consulting Group has forecast China’s eVTOL market will be worth $41 billion by 2040, with the Middle East market forecast to have reached $11 billion by the same stage.

The aerial electric vehicle industry has developed significantly in the past decade, with development time for new models shortening and manufacturing cost almost halving, Mr Du said. “All this together is actually creating a true era of flight.”

The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass

Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km

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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8

Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

BlacKkKlansman

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver 

Five stars

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Reading List

Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung

How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever

Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays

How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen

Results

2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.

4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

India squad for fourth and fifth Tests

Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari

BRAZIL SQUAD

Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

Updated: October 13, 2025, 7:34 AM