Archer Aviation could begin flying passengers in electric air taxis in the United Arab Emirates as early as next year, the company’s chief commercial officer told Arabian Business on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow.
If it happens, the UAE would become the first country in the world to launch commercial eVTOL operations.
CCO Nikhil Goel said Archer expects to start putting passengers in its piloted Midnight aircraft “as soon as next year” under the company’s launch programme in Abu Dhabi. The timeline puts the UAE ahead of the United States, Europe and Asia, where certification and infrastructure development remain at earlier stages.
Archer has completed a full eVTOL test campaign in the UAE, including vertical takeoff, transition and wingborne flight in desert conditions at Al Ain Airport. The company has begun receiving payments from Abu Dhabi Aviation under its launch agreement and has carried out joint work with the General Civil Aviation Authority and Etihad Aviation Training on certification and pilot readiness.
Goel said Archer intends to replicate its UAE model in Saudi Arabia under a new agreement signed on Wednesday with PIF’s The Helicopter Company and Red Sea Global. The partnership will establish a controlled sandbox environment to test the Midnight aircraft in real-world conditions across selected Red Sea sites, including routes currently operated by helicopters, boats and seaplanes.
“Nearly all the leaders across MENA are watching what the UAE is doing and asking how they can introduce these aircraft in their own countries,” Goel said. “Saudi Arabia is the first step. This is the beginning.”
Archer has already hired staff in the kingdom, nearly completed its local entity, and begun discussions with regulators and operators. The company expects Saudi Arabia to reach early-stage operational capability before 2030, citing the pace of work under its UAE programme and its global planning for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“2030 is a long time,” Goel said, adding that the company’s regional team and aircraft already in the Gulf will accelerate the Saudi rollout.
The PIF-backed agreement positions Saudi Arabia as the second large-scale Gulf deployment for Archer, following Abu Dhabi’s commitment to an emirate-wide network of more than 10 vertiport sites. As the Red Sea region opens its first resorts, eVTOL systems are expected to supplement and later replace some existing short-haul aviation services.
Goel added that Archer is also in discussions with other governments in the Middle East following interest from sovereign funds, transport authorities and aviation regulators. “This is only the beginning,” he said. “Many countries are looking to the UAE as a lighthouse.”
The expansion into multiple markets comes as Archer builds two revenue lines in the Gulf: commercial aviation and defence technology. This week, the company announced an agreement to supply its proprietary electric powertrain to Anduril Industries and the UAE’s EDGE Group for the Omen autonomous air vehicle, marking the first time Archer has made its powertrain available to a third party and creating a new source of income from dual-use systems.
Archer’s commercial progress follows the UAE’s regulatory push to formalise advanced air mobility. The General Civil Aviation Authority earlier this week issued the world’s first national vertiport regulation, created an operational framework that allows eVTOL aircraft and helicopters to share infrastructure, and begun mapping air corridors for early flights. The authority expects to complete air taxi certification by the third quarter of 2026, enabling initial fixed-route services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
In-country flight trials conducted by Archer this year tested aircraft stability in heat, sand and desert winds, and demonstrated full transition performance in local operating conditions. The company said the data supports its operational readiness for early commercial services in the UAE.
Archer is designing Midnight to carry four passengers and a pilot on short urban and inter-city routes. The company plans to expand its Middle East footprint through additional partnerships in 2026 as Gulf nations increase spending on aviation, aerospace technology and next-generation mobility systems.
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