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The UAE is one step closer to being the world’s first location for a new form of high speed transport, after an agreement signed this month between Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and pioneering US-based mobility company, Hyperloop One. The two parties have agreed to jointly explore routes for a transport system between Abu Dhabi and Dubai which will reduce journey times for people and goods between the two emirates to just 12 minutes.
Director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, H.E. Matter Al Tayer, claimed, “This is an opportunity to help transform the UAE from a technology consumer to a technology creator, incubating expertise for a new global industry, in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021. With Hyperloop One, we will create a new means of transportation, keeping our region at the forefront of transportation technology and innovation.”
Hyperloop One signed an agreement with DP World in August to pursue a cargo-based Hyperloop One system at Jebel Ali port. The focus has now been expanded to include connecting the two emirates. The company says, “As the central global transport hub, pursuing the implementation of a Hyperloop in the UAE makes sense. The leaders of the UAE understand that transportation is the new broadband, with the power to transform life throughout the GCC.”
The idea of a Hyperloop – a low-pressure tube through which levitating pods can travel at up to 1,200 km/h – has recently gained attention around the world. Benefits include higher standards of safety than a passenger jet, lower build and maintenance costs than high-speed rail, and energy usage, per person, that is similar to a bicycle.
