Dubai Announces Successful Test Flight of Commercial Aerial Taxi

On June 30, Dubai successfully completed the Middle East’s first test flight of the Joby Aerial Taxi. The Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) and Joby Aviation worked together to carry out the historic test flight. The test flight is a "major step" toward full operations, which are scheduled to begin in 2026.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Executive Council announced the successful test on his official X account.

“This pioneering initiative is part of the UAE’s broader vision to lead the world in innovation and the deployment of advanced technologies. Our nation's skies have opened to new possibilities, and the best is yet to come,” said Sheikh Hamdan.

Paul Sciarra, Executive Chair of Joby, said the successful tests were critical moments for the industry. He highlighted that Joby was on track to start commercial services by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Sciarra further said that in Dubai, Joby had seen a “real willingness to get new modes of transportation into the ecosystem as quickly as possible”. He emphasized that the start of the tests showed that commercial services were now in sight, “it will happen first in Dubai and then more broadly around the world, very soon.”

Joby Aviation, based in California, claims that its all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft will cut down on travel times, cut emissions, and help create a more sustainable and effective urban transit ecology. The company built the aerial taxi to transport a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.

Dubai Continues to Attract Foreign Investment

Dubai’s successful test of the Joby Aerial Taxi signals more than a mobility breakthrough — it underlines the emirate’s commitment to attracting high-tech foreign investment and positioning itself as a global hub for transformative innovation. This milestone provides investors with further confidence in Dubai’s smart infrastructure, regulatory support, and long-term vision for a future-ready urban development.

Recently, the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025 ranked the UAE 10th globally for foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and 2nd globally in the number of newly announced greenfield FDI projects in 2024. FDI inflows brought in a record AED 167.7 billion in 2024, meanwhile, greenfield FDI projects reached a total capital of AED 53.3 billion.

The UAE’s National Investment Strategy (NIS) 2031 plans to double these annual FDI inflows to a cumulative AED 2.2 trillion by 2031.

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