Dubai-based SolitAir marks one year with 30 Global South cargo routes, a fleet of seven Boeing freighters and plans to expand to 20 aircraft by 2027
Transport
GCC Railway Project
Gulf Railway Project: Trains to connect UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain by 2030
Gulf Railway Project will connect all six GCC states by 2030, spanning 2,117 km with high-speed passenger and freight trains, official confirms
Dubai
Emirates adds six weekly flights to London Heathrow from October
Emirates currently operates six daily services to London Heathrow, all using the Airbus A380
air travel
Middle East air traffic to hit 466m passengers in 2025 as global travel reaches 9.8bn
Middle East air travel is forecast to reach 466m passengers in 2025, up 5.9 per cent year-on-year, as global traffic climbs to 9.8bn, ACI World reports
Parkin signs 10-year agreement to build and manage Dubai Sports City parking spaces
The company expects total revenue of up to $13.6mn for creating 3,100 new parking spaces; Project starts from this month
Etihad Rail
Etihad Rail to connect 11 UAE cities by 2026 with 57-minute Dubai–Abu Dhabi trips
Etihad Rail to connect 11 UAE cities by 2026 with 57-minute Dubai–Abu Dhabi trips
Autonomous vehicles
Robo-taxis to lead $19bn GCC autonomous vehicle market by 2035
Robo-taxis are set to lead the GCC’s $19bn autonomous vehicle market by 2035, with Strategy& projecting strong growth driven by giga-projects and innovation
Dubai
Dubai’s Emirates announces new safety rules effective October 1
Emirates cited a “comprehensive safety review” as the reason for the change
Air Arabia
Air Arabia takes delivery of first Airbus A320neo, boosting fleet to 84 aircraft
Air Arabia has received its first Airbus A320neo aircraft from its 2019 order of 120 A320 Family planes placed with Airbus
Rail
UAE railway programme to deliver $54.5bn in economic benefits from $13.6bn investment
The UAE’s National Railway Programme will generate $54.5bn in economic benefits from a $13.6bn investment, cutting emissions and boosting transport efficiency
air taxi services
First UAE air taxi service to connect Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah by 2027
Ras Al Khaimah signs MoU with Joby Aviation and Skyports to launch UAE’s first air taxi service by 2027, cutting travel times to 15 minutes
Jeddah
Saudi rent freeze, $17.5bn Riyadh sales, foreign ownership rules, startups surge – 10 key KSA stories this week
Saudi Arabia freezes rents in Riyadh, property sales hit $17.5bn, foreign ownership rules may change, and startups surge – 10 key KSA stories this week
Expo 2030
Riyadh builds global city status with 7,200 smart infrastructure push ahead of Saudi mega events
Riyadh advances urban infrastructure with 7,200 projects, 800,000 km of service networks, and smart city upgrades as it prepares for Expo 2030 and FIFA 2034 in Saudi Arabia
air taxis
FlyNow Arabia: Saudi businesses back eCopter flying taxis
FlyNow Arabia secures Saudi investor backing to launch eCopter flying taxis, local manufacturing and Vision 2030-aligned electric air mobility in the Kingdom
Emirates Road
UAE launches $204m Emirates Road expansion to cut travel time by 45%
The UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure begins AED750m ($204m) Emirates Road upgrade to ease congestion, boost capacity, and cut travel times by 45%
air taxi services
Saudi Arabia set to launch autonomous air taxi flights this year
Front End, Cluster 2 Airports and EHang sign MoU to deploy autonomous aerial vehicles in Saudi Arabia, marking a major step in Vision 2030 mobility goals
DTC
DTC-Kabi agreement puts 9,880 taxis on Bolt and Zed ride-hailing apps
Customers in Dubai to benefit from greater availability of taxis, reduced waiting times and enhanced overall service efficiency