Dubai’s high-altitude ambitions took another leap forward this week after a Chinese-made modular flying car completed public test flights in the emirate and the manufacturer announced a bulk order for 600 units from companies across the Gulf. The demonstration — part of wider trials in the UAE — has drawn attention from fleet operators, dealers and regional investors who see a near-term market for personal eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles.
The vehicle on show uses a “mothership” ground module that stores, recharges and transports a detachable air module — a design meant to solve traditional eVTOL pain points like where to land, recharge and store the aircraft in crowded cities. Company executives say the modular approach lets the aerial unit launch from and return to the ground vehicle, extending operational flexibility in desert or urban environments.
Company statements and regional reporting put the initial GCC pre-orders at roughly 600 units, placed by a mix of distributors and corporate buyers across the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. Those orders are part of a wider global backlog the firm says now tops several thousand reservations, a tally the manufacturer cites as evidence of commercial demand beyond limited demonstration flights.
Manufacturers involved in these Dubai trials emphasise that this is still a testing and certification phase rather than full consumer sales. Executives told local media they expect to scale production and begin deliveries to some markets within the next year or two, depending on regulatory approvals, production ramp-up and final certification. Regional rollout plans cited by the firm point to staged market entry in the Middle East after operations start in China.
Regulators in the UAE have been preparing for urban air mobility for some time — mapping aerial corridors, testing pilot programs and coordinating between civil-aviation authorities and local technology institutes — efforts that industry experts say make the UAE one of the fastest places to trial new eVTOL concepts. Still, operators and buyers will need to clear aviation safety certification, airspace integration rules and ground-infrastructure approvals before routine operations begin.
Industry reaction in the Gulf was mixed between excitement over a potential new transport market and caution about timelines. Fleet operators flagged practical questions around pilot training (or autonomy approvals), maintenance ecosystems, charging and battery lifecycles, and how these vehicles will be insured and regulated for both road and air use. Analysts also pointed to the need for robust public safety messaging as the technology moves from staged demos to paid operations.
For now, the Dubai trials offer a high-profile proof point: manufacturers can demonstrate hover, transition and landing in an urban setting, and regional buyers are willing to place large pre-orders on the strength of that demonstration. But turning those orders into daily flights over city skylines will require coordinated progress on certification, infrastructure and commercial service models — a process that could take several more years even under accelerated timelines.
