UAE: Big projects in the next 50 years

CATALYST: The UAE aims to be a catalyst for global adoption and expansion of hyperloop as new mode of transportation that will be faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than other existing modes. The hyperloop uses vacuum technology to accelerate to speeds of up to 1,200 km/h, zooming past the distance between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes (about 140km).

ROLLING REVOLUTION: The UAE seeks to revolutionise regional transport and trade through a passenger and cargo hyperloop-enabled system, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). In July 2020, Virgin Hyperloop signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first graduate-level, research-based AI university, to initiate a collaborative approach to research and innovation believed to culminate in making the UAE a centre for the development of the hyperloop transport technology.

NON-TRADITIONAL TRANSPORT: DP World Cargospeed, the first-of-its-kind initiative, seeks to provide hyperloop-enabled cargo systems for fast, sustainable and efficient delivery of palletised cargo around the world. It represents a vision for the future of cargo transportation, using non-traditional and emerging transportation technology. The new venture was created through a partnership between Dubai-based DP World and Virgin Hyperloop, based in California.

HIGH-SPEED TRAVEL: The concept of hyperloop, a vacuum-tube system that can propel passengers at speeds of up to 1,200 km/h, was first introduced in 1904 by physicist Robert H. Goddard, the father of modern rocket propulsion. The train was designed to run suspended by magnetic systems in a vacuum tube. Photo shows a mockup Hyperloop pod displayed by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) at City Walk during an exhibition as part of the UAE Innovation Month.

GREEN ENERGY: The UAE, a major fossil fuel producer which hosts the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), is scaling up renewables. Part of the UAE Vision 2050 is to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050 and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70%, thus saving Dh700 billion by 2050. The UAE’s Al Dhafra Solar PV is currently the world's largest single-site solar power plant, using approximately 4 million solar panels to generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes across the country.

INTERPLANETARY MISSION: The UAE has successfully sent an unmanned spacecraft to Mars in July 2020, as part of the Hope Probe Mission. It’s the Arab world's first interplanetary mission. In February 2021, after seven months of space travel, the probe reached orbit around Mars. The Hope Probe will study the Red Planet for a full Martian year (687 Earth days, or about two years). It’s the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers. Data collected will be made available for scientists around the world. The average age of the team working on the Emirates Mars Mission is 27.

CITY ON MARS: In 2017, the UAE has revealed details of its national project to build a habitable human settlement on Mars. As part of its future plans to make life on the Red Planet possible, the UAE will simulate life on Mars. For this purpose, architects have designed a Martian city for the desert outside Dubai.

PROJECT MARS 2117: The UAE’s Project Mars 2117 is aimed to bring humans to the Red Planet and visualise the first miniature city on Mars. “Mars 2117 is a seed we are sowing today to reap the fruit of new generations led by a passion for science and advancing human knowledge," His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Twitter. In preparation for this endeavour, the UAE will build a series of laboratories known as Mars Science City simulating conditions on the Red Planet. In July 2018, NASA and the UAE entered into an arrangement of cooperation on human spaceflight.

ICONIC PROJECTS: The Palm Islands in Dubai, seen from space, is a trilogy of artificial islands reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf — Palm Jumeirah, Deira Island and Palm Jebel Ali on the coast of Dubai, UAE. These are long-term development projects. It’s been 20 years since construction started for the first Palm (Jumeirah). Today, it’s the home of stars and high net worth individuals. In 2021, the most expensive villa to be sold on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah has gone for an estimated $30 million. The project will undergo further development in the years to come.

SPACE JOURNEY: An aerial image of Palm Jumeirah, taken from space by KhalifaSat in 2018. The image was taken at 1.32pm when KhalifaSat passed over Dubai. This was the first official photo taken by the KhalifaSat — that of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai — signalling the beginning of its five-year Earth imaging journey in space. KhalifaSat is the first UAE satellite to be designed, built and tested in the country entirely by Emirati scientists and engineers. The UAE has 13 operational satellites. More satellites are planned for launch, bolstering the country's capabilities in space science.

TRENDING: Dubai is one of the most TikTok-friendly places on earth, where smiles abound. Residents know this, as they often find someone making a video. A survey undertaken by Bounce, a worldwide luggage storage app, confirmed Dubai’s status after analysing the number of views popular travel destinations received on TikTok. Bounce created a list of the top 10 trending destinations on the app, and Dubai came on top. Photo shows an aerial shot of the Dubai Canal.

FORWARD TO THE FUTURE: Dubai Tourism seeks to promote the city as the top tourist destination globally enabled by its status as a place of tolerance, as well its infrastructure as global transport and logistics hub. Foreground shows the iconic “Museum of the Future” building off Sheikh Payed Road in Dubai. Created for the Dubai Future Foundation, the museum is a showcase of innovation, design and tolerance — inviting varied cultural, philosophical, social and spiritual outlooks. It will also a be place of learning, where you can explore the challenges and opportunities shaping our times, and finding solutions for a better future.

HARNESSING SPACE TECHNOLOGY: The UAE is leading the way in the Arab and the Middle East region in harnessing space science. On August 4, 2020, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced the completion of an updated map of the Abu Dhabi and Dubai using the UAE's first high-resolution satellite image "Mosaic", captured by KhalifaSat. The system captures a matrix of individual digital images to create a single high-resolution picture of the UAE’s terrain. This imaging system by MBRSC will provide a comprehensive view of the UAE’s topography, using remote sensing systems, image processing, geographic information systems and artificial intelligence.

AIR TAXIS: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2020 to exchange expertise on autonomous air vehicles. Areas of collaboration include legislation, testing, air routes identification, take-off and landing sites, safety and security relating to urban air mobility. Dubai is expected to be the launch pad for commercial air taxis, with services projected to begin by 2022. It has carried out advanced tests with autonomous aerial vehicle companies such as Germany’s Volocopter and China’s EHang.

FUTURE OF TRANSPORT: In line with the Abu Dhabi Government’s long term vision and plan, the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport (DMAT) announced an agreement with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) to undertake a feasibility study to connect Abu Dhabi and Al Ain using the Hyperloop system. HyperloopTT is one of the global leaders in providing innovative solutions to the transportation industry, and the company’s technology could have a significant impact on the future of transport in Abu Dhabi.

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT: Transport will play a major role in the development of the UAE, incorporating leading-edge technology such as driverless cars and hyper loop transport. The plan seeks to transform the future of Dubai, to make it “a pivotal hub in the global economy”. Dubai’s vehicle density stood at 540 per 1,000 people in 2015, the highest in the region and among the highest in the world. Dubai’s 2040 Master Plan seeks to provide sustainable and flexible means of mobility using driverless pods and vehicles.

CITY OF THE FUTURE: This picture, taken on July 8, 2020 shows an aerial view of the Ain Dubai, the world's tallest Ferris wheel, in the emirate of Dubai, during a government-organised plane tour. The Dubai 2020 Urban Master Plan contains a structural layout, integrating all urban development master plans in the emirate and aligned it with Dubai’s strategic economic priorities and the needs of the future.

MASTERPLAN: Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan is the seventh development plan for the emirate since 1960. Between 1960 and 2020, the population of Dubai has multiplied 80 times from 40,000 in 1960 to 3.3 million while the urban and built area of the emirate increased 170-fold from 3.2 square km. The plan maps out a comprehensive plan for a sustainable urban development in Dubai. A key target under the plan is the doubling of green and recreational spaces by 2040 in Dubai.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT: The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan contains a wide-ranging vision that aims to provide the best quality of life and maps out a comprehensive plan for a sustainable urban development in Dubai. It focuses on enhancing people’s happiness and quality of life and reinforcing Dubai as a global destination for citizens, residents and visitors over the next 20 years. Several “green corridors” will be established to link the service areas, residential areas and workplaces.

DYNAMIC CITY: As the region’s most dynamic city, Dubai has set out ambitious growth plans for the next decade. Already the Middle East’s top destination for foreign investment, Dubai is aiming to become the world’s smartest city by 2021; the most visited city by 2025; and the global hub of the Islamic economy within the next decade.

TALLEST BLOCK: The Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR), a 40-tower block, and the Dubai Marina (183 buildings) together form the tallest block of skyscrapers in the world. Supertall skyscrapers such as Pentominium (471 m), Princess Tower (414 m), Dream Dubai Marina (425 m to tip), Elite Residence (380 m), 23 Marina (392 m), The Marina Torch (352 m), and Damac Heights (335 m) are built on this block. Fronting the JBR is beautiful outdoor mall, known as The Walk, where people walk to explore. Then next to it, there’s the Jumeirah Beach. Dubai aims to be the most walkable city, accessible by public transport.

SMART CITY: There’s a $50 billion worth of “smart city” projects the UAE and Saudi Arabia earmarked in the next five years that will get the region to the next level of development. A significant portion of these investments will be on next-generation “smart mobility”, which could take the form of self-driving vehicles, and even those of the flying kind, with smart air taxis.

PUBLIC BEACH: Dubai’s 2040 Master Plan aims to increase the length of public beaches by 400%. The land area for hotels and tourist activities will increase by 134%, and for commercial activities, it will increase to 168 km2. Land area for education and health facilities will likewise increase by 25%. Photo shows Dubai beach fronting Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) tower block.