Future transport in the UAE, 2026: Ras Al Khaimah's vertiport, Uber robotaxis and sea gliders

We have already covered how air taxis are launching between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But more transport projects have reshaped how people will move around the UAE over the past year than just the DXB–Palm route: Ras Al Khaimah is building its own vertiport, driverless cars are already on Dubai's roads, and Abu Dhabi is preparing a genuinely new transport mode — over water, but not flying in the conventional sense.

Ras Al Khaimah's vertiport: 15 minutes to Al Marjan instead of an hour and a half

The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA), together with Joby Aviation and operator Skyports, has agreed to launch an air-taxi network across the emirate by 2027. The first vertiport will sit on Al Marjan Island, timed to the opening of the Wynn Al Marjan Island resort, currently targeted for Q1 2027. A flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to the island is projected at around 15 minutes, versus over an hour by car; Joby's aircraft carries a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds up to 321 km/h. A second site is planned for Jebel Jais, the UAE's highest peak, eventually linking into routes already launching in Dubai.

Uber and WeRide robotaxis: already carrying fare-paying passengers

On 31 March 2026, Uber and China's WeRide officially launched fully driverless, fare-charging robotaxi operations in Dubai — no safety driver behind the wheel, booked through the regular Uber app via an "Autonomous" option. Commercial routes currently run in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, two coastal tourist districts. In February 2026, the RTA granted WeRide a permit to trial driverless vehicles across a wider set of zones, including Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investment Park Second and Jabal Ali Industrial First, plus suburban Nad Al Sheba, Wadi Al Safa, Warsan and Ras Al Khor. That same month, Uber and WeRide announced plans to deploy at least 1,200 robotaxis across the region — Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Seaglider in Abu Dhabi: electric transport skimming the water by 2028

Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) and operator VERSA have signed an agreement to roll out electric Seaglider craft across the emirate by 2028. The vehicle takes off from the water on hydrofoils, then flies low above the surface at speeds up to 290 km/h, using existing dock infrastructure with no new ports required. The first route will connect Abu Dhabi City with the Al Dhafra region; a future Abu Dhabi–Dubai line is also under consideration, projected at under half an hour for AED 200–250 — a fraction of a helicopter's cost and comparable to a premium taxi.

What it means for the property market

All three projects work on the same variable: effective distance. The vertiport makes Al Marjan Island logistically closer to Dubai than to the mainland of its own emirate; robotaxis cut the cost of the last mile where public transport does not reach; Seaglider promises to erase the "Abu Dhabi or Dubai" line from an investment decision almost literally. None of the three is running at full scale yet, and pricing it into a property today would be premature — but ignoring it when choosing a location on a 2027–2028 horizon no longer makes sense.

For the island the vertiport is being built around, see our piece on the UAE's first casino on Al Marjan Island.