At GITEX 2025, the city has formally launched trial operations of its first-ever aerial taxi, which will serve as a major milestone towards revolutionizing the way people commute in the city. The experiments include the Joby S4 electric air taxi, an innovative aircraft that can vertically take-off and land, which is currently being tested in the Dubai environment before it is likely to be commercially launched in early 2026.
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A 10-Minute Trip from Airport to Palm Jumeirah
The Dubai air taxi will provide residents and visitors with a quick, sustainable, and safe means of traversing the network of busy roads in the city. Indicatively, a trip that now takes some 45 minutes to drive between the Dubai International Airport and Palm Jumeirah is reduced to a mere 10 minutes.
It will also allow the air taxi to be fully incorporated with the current systems of public transportation and personal mobility like bicycles, e-scooters, and metro lines to provide a convenient and well-connected transportation process throughout the city.
One such project is the aerial taxi project, which the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai revealed at the 11th groundbreaking AI and digital transformation projects at this year’s GITEX, which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre between October 13 and 17.
Smarter Inspections with AutoCheck 360
One of the original innovations is the AutoCheck 360 that is an entirely automated vehicle inspection system using artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), this system cuts down the inspection time by 17 minutes only to seven minutes, so that the results are faster, more consistent, and free of errors.
Trackless Tram: Redefining City Transit
A second futuristic dazzle at the RTA pavilion is the Trackless Tram, an autonomous transport system of the next generation that will have no fixed rails.
The tram is controlled with the help of optical navigation, LiDAR, and GPS technologies, and is guided through virtual paths, overcoming any obstacles in real-time.
It is flexible, which makes it slide easily in the city roads with lower cost of operations and smaller environmental footprint compared to the conventional tramps.
AI-Driven Rail Safety: The Safe Tracks System
RTA is also displaying the Safe Tracks Rail Inspection System (ARIIS) – a computer vision-powered laser-based system, which detects rail defects with microscopic precision. This system has reduced the time to conduct an inspection by 70 percent, improving the reliability and safety of the Dubai Metro.
Smart Mobility for Safer Cities
The next step in the development of the mobility environment in Dubai is the Smart Mobility Platform of Safe Cities. It tracks the driver behaviour, speed and routes of a delivery bike, school bus, and commercial fleet using AI and IoT, and monitors their locations in real-time. The platform will allow faster intervention of unsafe practices and reinforce road safety in the city.
Predictive Traffic Management with Smart Vehicle Network
Another step forward is the Smart Vehicle Network, which is based on predictive analytics to save 25% of traffic delays and lower the operating costs by 30%. It was created in the Dubai Intelligent Traffic Systems Centre and enables two-way communication between traffic and infrastructure, which is the first step towards the use of AI in controlling traffic.
Innovation Hub: Apps, Kiosks, and the AI Factory
The visitors of the GITEX 2025 will be able to see the new updates of the RTA Dubai and S’hail apps, as well as the new interactive smart kiosks that would be used to improve customer experiences.
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Another project featured is the AI Factory which is a specialised R&D centre to design self-learning, data-driven systems that will drive the next round of innovation of Smart City development in Dubai.
A Step Toward the Future
Dubai is quickly transforming the transportation system with air taxis, trackless trams, and AI-based inspection systems. The air taxi trials become a reality at GITEX 2025, and will be not only a technological milestone but also the sign of the emirate green, innovative, and leading in terms of smart mobility.