Glimpse Of Middle East's Urban Mobility Landscape Of Tomorrow

When imagining the future of smart cities, workspaces, and homes, it is important to think about technology and how it can help create a smarter, more resilient, stable, and sustainable society.

The Middle East has been involved in and developing projects to achieve this goal using AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and aerial transportation in the future and to make it more sustainable at the same time.

Currently, the region is prioritising its projects through high-speed rail and city metro lines, which have a positive impact on the economy. And this new development has opened new avenues for markets and operations, allowing people to travel quickly from one hotspot to another.

Elaborating further on the developments, Hasan Haider, Managing Partner at +VC, stated, "E-commerce should flourish, with transportation rates and times significantly decreasing compared to the current system of trucks and air travel, leading to a more economically integrated region. Startups working in e-commerce, logistics, and delivery will benefit immensely from this network, and we may see a new segment of D2C startups emerge to take advantage of this logistical improvement." 

The Etihad Rail project in the UAE is being developed to become a part of the GCC railway network for passenger travel; the rail network is now 100 percent complete. The rail network will cover about 1,200 kilometres across the UAE, connecting the seven emirates to the five neighbouring Gulf nations.

 It was launched in 2009; the network is currently focusing on freight and had its first stage operational in 2016, spanning 264 kilometres. Stage two, which is over 600 kilometres of additional track laid from Ghuweifat at the border with Saudi Arabia to Fujairah on the east coast,

Gravitating Towards More Sustainable Solutions

Dubai could soon be a new paradise for cycling lovers, as the city has planned to go bike-friendly. The bike-friendly initiative is part of the Dubai Vision 2021 project, which aims to make Dubai the most pleasant city in terms of work, life, and travel. The total cost of this project is US$108 million. Dubai’s Road Transport Authority also lifted bans on e-scooters and e-bikes so that riders will be allowed to complete an online safety test and receive a permit without a driving licence. 

According to Fast Company Middle East, the global e-scooter market was estimated at US$33.18 billion in 2022. Currently, it predicts an annual growth rate of 9.9 percent from 2023 to 2030.

On another front, the tyre industry is also expected to evolve and reinvent itself. Tyre manufacturers will focus on telematic solutions, data sharing, and connected vehicles to improve connectivity, road safety, and sustainability.

Furthermore, the industry will adopt technologies such as IoT and artificial intelligence that can collect data for optimised performance and safety. The implementation of 5G technology is expected to have a positive impact on the tyre market and will support connected cars, autonomous driving, and sharing.

A technology-driven mobility system is at the core of a seamless transport experience. To overcome current and future obstacles to efficient mobility, new solutions must be applied to build data-enabled, sustainable urban transport infrastructure.

Several governments and industries are investing to increase eco-friendly mobility solutions to address current problems in traffic, reduce CO2 emissions, and provide efficient mobility in the region.

The UAE has introduced over 3,000 public electric vehicle charging stations, which is one of the highest numbers of electric vehicle charging points globally. Jordan has more than 40,000 EVs on its roads due to its high cost of fuel and zero tax on EV imports.

Qatar has joined sustainable mobility by introducing the largest e-bus depot in the world, i.e., nearly 1,000 e-buses. Oman has committed to having 79 percent of cars on its roads be electric by 2035.

Industries and governments need to invest in smarter and newer technologies to meet the needs of a growing population in the Middle East.

It is predicted that by 2050, 80 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas. Hence, the need for a smart city market will double to almost US$873.7 billion by 2026, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy.

Moreover, green technologies like solar panels and batteries are necessary for smart mobility, which requires real-time traffic monitoring, mapping data, navigation, and understanding data to create better services that are stable, safe, and effective.

Reimagining the Current Mobility Infrastructure

Last year, Dubai ranked first in urban mobility readiness in the MENA region. The study, conducted by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS), calculated 60 cities globally.

It is based on 57 quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators (KPIs) measuring social impact, infrastructure, market attractiveness, system efficiency, and innovation. Each city was ranked based on 100, where Dubai surpassed the global average of 54 percent, ranking 58 percent. The Middle East’s average was 47 percent.

The report stated that the preference for cars across the Middle East is the reason for its low score because of the underutilization of public transit.

According to Strategy&, around 91 percent of the travel in the GCC is done using private cars, encouraging a shift towards greener transport modes and a rethinking of urban design. For years, there has been a lack of investment and incentives for active travel infrastructure and sustainable modes of transportation.

However, public transport is gaining traction in the region, with initiatives such as Riyadh's newly inaugurated metro, Dubai's automated driverless metro line, and Cairo's metro line, monorail, and BRT system.

Active travel is also becoming more mainstream, with Doha launching the largest bike-sharing network, Alexandria and Cairo launching bike-sharing systems last year, and Dubai having the longest cycling track in the world.

Campaigns that inform and educate the public about sustainable modes of transport and their impact on the environment are also crucial. Public-private partnerships need to open up the market for the private sector to come in and invest. This will move the market at a much faster speed, resulting in better service, more options, competitive prices, and more convenience for end-users.

Industries Embracing Sustainable Choices

The Arab Gulf states are increasingly focusing on electric vehicle (EV) adoption as they strive to achieve net-zero targets and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

The UAE, which will host the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, in November, is also investing in manufacturing plans for EVs. Dubai also targets 25 percent of mobility journeys to be autonomous.

Ekar, the region's first mobility company and self-drive super app, added 10 Teslas to its fleet available for rent in Dubai and five additional Teslas in Abu Dhabi's Masdar City.

According to Arab News, Saudi Arabia's investments in EV production are predicted to reach US$50 billion in the next decade. It is expected that at least 30 percent of the vehicles on the road will be electric in the next seven years.

NEOM, a megacity project in Saudi Arabia, aims for 100 percent electric and shared mobility and regional dominance in autonomous vehicles. Major metro projects in the region will be driverless.

BMW Group is planning to accelerate hydrogen-powered vehicles in the Middle East. Supporting this, Dr. Hamid Haqparwar, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East, commented, "I am convinced that hydrogen, one of the most efficient options for storing and transporting renewable energy, will play a major role as a fuel in this region of the world."

He added, "We will be piloting the second generation of our hydrogen fuel cell drive train in a small series of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen in due course. In addition to the transition to renewable energies in production and the supply chain, we will also significantly reduce our resource consumption as we pave the way for a stronger circular economy."

Recently, Chinese company EHang has partnered with Monarch Aircraft to bring electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, drones, and necessary operation facilities to the Middle East. Abu Dhabi will be the first centre for the development of sustainable electric aircraft and drones, as well as an autonomously managed air mobility command and control centre. The partnership aligns with the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy's initiatives to transition towards a smart, circular, and sustainable economy.

The EHang 216 is an eVTOL vehicle capable of carrying up to two people in fully autonomous flight mode.

The Middle East is realising the importance of sustainable mobility in the region's development. Industries and governments' collaborative efforts will improve the region’s sustainability performance, making cities safer, cleaner, healthier, and more economically relevant for their residents and future generations.