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Charlotte Bailey

As multiple urban air mobility developers jostle to launch commercial services in the Middle East, Eve Air Mobility is to evaluate passenger-carrying eVTOL routes within the region. A newly forged partnership with Bahrain could see these commence domestically as soon as 2028, the Embraer spin-off announced on November 3.
Eve said it is considering “premium shuttle and tourist routes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Istanbul, and Manama.” This builds upon a new agreement signed with Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT), which Eve says will “accelerate the readiness of Bahrain’s regulatory, operational and infrastructure ecosystem for eVTOL operations”.
The objectives of the MTT partnership include establishing a sandbox to test and refine urban air mobility systems, as well as developing vertiport infrastructure. Announcing third-quarter financial results the same day, Eve said it now has cash reserves totalling $534 million.
This is the first Middle Eastern venture announced by Eve, which aims to start commercial services with its four-passenger eVTOL in São Paolo, Brazil, with launch customer Revo. The first of these aircraft deliveries are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027, albeit the company has yet to start flying its technology demonstrator.
<h2>eVTOL Rivals Converge on the Gulf</h2>
However, this elevated interest in establishing eVTOL services in the Middle East is not without precedent, with several eVTOL OEMs and operators already looking to the region for initial commercial use cases. In December 2024, U.S. developer Archer announced it had entered into a “multi-party collaboration agreement with key UAE and Abu Dhabi entities to advance the establishment of electric air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi.”
Although Archer noted that this agreement’s goal was to secure its spot as the first eVTOL manufacturer to launch commercial operations in the Emirate, rival Californian OEM Joby Aviation is also setting its sights on the region. A February 2024 agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority provided Joby with what it termed “the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years.” Joby anticipates starting commercial services in Dubai from 2026. 
During the February 2025 World Government Summit held in Dubai, the UAE announced it had begun work on drafting operational corridors and regulations for eVTOL operations. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Advanced Technology Research Council have pledged to make this happen over the next 20 months. At the time, the GCAA assistant director general of the aviation safety affairs sector noted: “The GCAA’s certification is structured, transparent, and performance driven. Program timelines are set according to the applicant’s readiness and their ability to meet every regulatory milestone.”

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