Ras Al Khaimah has signed an agreement with Chinese aircraft manufacturer Aridge to establish a regulatory sandbox for flying car testing in the emirate, with a demonstration route between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah planned as a further stage.
The agreement was signed under the oversight of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority. It designates Ras Al Khaimah as a controlled testing environment where Aridge can fly and evaluate its aircraft before any formal regulatory framework for wider use exists.
The Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) will lead the sandbox programme. Under it, Aridge will conduct flight validation under desert conditions, evaluate aircraft performance across operational scenarios, and refine procedures within controlled airspace.
What the Aridge flying car sandbox covers
Aridge, legally registered as Guangdong Huitian Aerospace Co Ltd, describes itself as the largest flying car company in Asia and a creator of low-altitude mobility solutions. The aircraft at the centre of the agreement is the Land Aircraft Carrier, a modular vehicle with a detachable eVTOL air module and a ground vehicle component.
The company demonstrated the Land Aircraft Carrier at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Abu Dhabi, one day before the sandbox agreement was signed. The event marked the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 42nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE, and was attended by Chinese Ambassador Zeng Jixin alongside UAE government and business representatives.
According to Aridge’s official newsroom, customer deliveries of the Land Aircraft Carrier are scheduled to begin in 2026, with the company describing it as the world’s first modular flying car now in mass production. Specifications published by Low Altitude Economy Aero describe the air module as a six-rotor, two-seat eVTOL built from carbon fibre, capable of completing five to six flights per charge.
The sandbox makes Aridge the first Chinese flying car company to enter a national-level regulatory sandbox in the Middle East. Officials also describe it as one of the world’s first testing environments for personal low-altitude flight.
Abu Dhabi to RAK route and broader air mobility plans
Alongside the desert testing programme, the two parties are planning a demonstration route linking Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. The route is intended to test what would be required for inter-emirate air mobility services, covering flight planning, airspace coordination, ground support, passenger handling and safety protocols. The two cities are currently separated by roughly a 90-minute drive.
RAKTA framed the Aridge agreement as part of the emirate’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2030. The authority has separately been building out its air mobility programme: in September 2025, RAKTA signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure to launch a passenger air taxi service in Ras Al Khaimah by 2027, using Joby’s all-electric eVTOL aircraft. Planned destinations include Al Marjan Island and Jebel Jais.
Skyports and RAKTA subsequently signed a binding agreement to develop and operate a four-vertiport network across the emirate, according to Urban Air Mobility News.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said the partnership reflected a broader effort to modernise the emirate’s economy. ‘The true value of technology lies in the difference it makes to people’s lives,’ he said, adding that Ras Al Khaimah is using innovation to strengthen its economy and its standing as a place to live, work and invest.
The next concrete step is the commencement of flight validation trials under RAKTA’s oversight, with the Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah demonstration route to follow once initial testing concludes.
