Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Joby, Skyports Ink Air Taxi Deal in UAE Emirate
Service is expected to begin there in 2027
Artist rendering of proposed vertiport in Ras Al Khaimah
An artist rendering shows the vertiport planned for Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE. AAM service is expected to begin there in 2027, linking the emirate with Dubai. © Ras Al Khaimah Transportation Authority

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), the fourth largest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signed an agreement with Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure that will launch advanced air mobility taxi services there by 2027. Its first vertiport is scheduled to be constructed at the centrally located Al Marjan Island, which will be home to a resort set to open in 2027.

Service is expected to start with an inter-emirate route linking RAK and Dubai. The trip from Dubai International Airport to Al Marjan Island takes more than an hour by car. With Joby’s all-electric air taxi—which is anticipated to carry its first passengers in Dubai next year—the trip would be less than 15 minutes.