• Razan Alzayani / The National
    Razan Alzayani / The National

Focal Point: Stationary Movement


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For a picture that is, at its most basic, just seven men standing around, it has a real feel of energy. Razan Alzayani captured a potter, Ahmed Rashed Mohammed Al Haymar, bottom, holding a demonstration in his father's old stone home with members of his tribe in Ras Al Khaimah recently; the fact that some of them are looking directly towards the camera while others talk or look out of the frame keeps your eye moving around the whole scene.

* Mark Asquith, deputy photo editor

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.