Ras Al Khaimah signs deal to test flying cars, with Abu Dhabi route planned

In the UAE, the future isn’t a distant ambition. Here, planning and execution come to life in the matter of mere months. Gone are the days where we sit in traffic and hope to see flying cars, because Ras Al Khaimah just signed off on testing these airborne vehicles very soon. Just this past Friday, Aridge, one of Asia’s largest flying-car companies, signed an agreement with the emirate, under the oversight of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, to launch a regulatory sandbox. ‘ What is a regulatory sandbox? ‘ you ask? It is simply a controlled environment where the aviation vehicle can be flown and evaluated before establishing rules for wider use. Before properly establishing use for the general public, it is important that the aircraft be tested and pass regulatory standards while also setting up some ground rules in place. This move came about a day after the aircraft company, Aridge demonstrated its modular flying car – the Land Aircraft Carrier in Abu Dhabi. While the official signing off on the vehicle itself was held at RAK Ruler’s palace in the Saqr bin Mohammed City. * DON’T MISS: The What’s On Lock-In returns to InterContinental Abu Dhabi* Commenting on the recent developments, HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said, “We believe that the true value of technology lies in its impact on people’s lives and its ability to support development and improve services. In Ras Al Khaimah, innovation is a fundamental part of our vision for the future, and we are working to harness it to develop more efficient systems that meet the needs of our community and economy.” * Dubai’s first air taxi vertiport gets the green light ahead of launch *