The Midnight eVOTL air taxi by Archer Aviation during a test flight. Photo: Archer Aviation
The Midnight eVOTL air taxi by Archer Aviation during a test flight. Photo: Archer Aviation
The Midnight eVOTL air taxi by Archer Aviation during a test flight. Photo: Archer Aviation
The Midnight eVOTL air taxi by Archer Aviation during a test flight. Photo: Archer Aviation

UAE approves hybrid heliport plan as air taxis prepare for lift-off


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Abu Dhabi's ambitious drive to launch flying taxis by next year has moved closer to lift-off after plans for the country's first hybrid heliport in the capital were approved.

Regulator the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday said it had accepted the design for the heliport at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port.

The heliport will be able to accommodate traditional helicopters and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, such as US-based Archer Aviation's Midnight flying taxi.

It has been developed in a strategic partnership between AD Ports Group, Falcon Aviation Services and Archer Aviation, marking a key step forward in the emirate's efforts to provide sustainable air transport.

The site was chosen due to the location at Zayed Port, which welcomes more than 650,000 visitors annually and is intended to be a gateway to the emirate's attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat Cultural District.

“This milestone is not just about infrastructure – it reflects the UAE’s unwavering commitment to innovation and global leadership in advanced air mobility,” said Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA.

“Through our close collaboration with Archer, AD Ports Group, and Falcon Aviation Services, we are enabling a future where sustainable, high-tech air transport becomes a core part of our urban landscape. This approval represents a new era for civil aviation, driven by partnership and vision.”

The GCAA has finalised a regulatory framework to govern the safe and efficient use of rapidly evolving air transport services, which is due to be published by July.

“Leveraging existing aviation assets is a cornerstone of our launch strategy,” said Adam Goldstein, chief executive and co-founder of Archer.

“It allows us to move both quickly and safely – getting critical infrastructure ready ahead of our planned commercial air taxi launch.”

The hybrid heliport will serve as a key launch point for Abu Dhabi air taxi services, with plans for roll-out by 2026.

Vision for future takes flight

Archer Aviation has identified the Corniche, Saadiyat Island and some areas of Abu Dhabi city as among the most promising places in which to run its electric air taxi service.

Nikhil Goel, chief commercial officer at Archer Aviation, told The National this month that a network would be revealed in “the near future”.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office is working with the company to make the capital its first international launch site, with plans to establish its first international headquarters and manufacturing plant in the city.

Mr Goel said that Archer would start commercial operations with “less than five” air taxis, each with a capacity of four passengers, plus the pilot, which can fly a distance exceeding 161km at a top speed of 241kph.

“We want to make sure that everything is working properly, everybody has a good customer experience and from there, we'll scale as much as the demand can accommodate,” he said.

Archer Aviation will be carrying out rigorous testing to ensure the vehicles are safe and reliable for service before commercial operations begin. Mr Goel said it is bringing the first Midnight eVTOL to Abu Dhabi this summer, which will then undergo test flights.

Jawan
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RESULTS

6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock

7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Price: Dh169,900

On sale: now 

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Results

6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.

7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.

8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

Power: 1,600hp

Torque: 1,600Nm

0-100kph in 2.4seconds

0-200kph in 5.8 seconds

0-300kph in 12.1 seconds

Top speed: 440kph

Price: Dh13,200,000

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

Power: 1,500hp

Torque: 1,600Nm

0-100kph in 2.3 seconds

0-200kph in 5.5 seconds

0-300kph in 11.8 seconds

Top speed: 350kph

Price: Dh13,600,000

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Asia Cup Qualifier

Final
UAE v Hong Kong

TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am

Updated: April 23, 2025, 1:33 PM`