RAK signs Aridge deal for advanced air mobility test zone

Ras Al Khaimah Aridge flying vehicle test zone plans moved forward with Aridge named as the founding partner, taking the emirate’s flying-vehicle programme from a demonstration flight towards regulated trials.

The agreement was signed by the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA), the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation (RAKDCA) and Aridge, the advanced air mobility company affiliated with XPeng. RAK Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi witnessed the signing on September 18 during a meeting with XPeng AeroHT founder and chairman Zhao Deli.

The official RAKTA announcement records the earlier cooperation that led to the first XPeng AeroHT flying-vehicle test flight in the emirate in 2025. The new agreement widens that work beyond a single demonstration.

Ras Al Khaimah Aridge flying vehicle test zone will focus on safety first

Aridge will allocate aircraft and a specialised team to Ras Al Khaimah, giving the test zone its first operational partner. The zone will provide a controlled setting for testing the technology, assessing readiness and validating airspace requirements, operating procedures and safety standards.

The work will take place through phased tests and demonstrations, with later operational trials subject to coordination with RAKDCA and other relevant UAE regulators. The agreement does not announce passenger services or a commercial launch date.

From a 2025 flight to a permanent test presence

The 2025 flight was conducted under the earlier cooperation between RAKTA and XPeng AeroHT. RAKTA’s announcement at the time said the emirate was exploring flying-vehicle applications in tourism, aerial demonstrations and limited emergency response services.

The new partnership also names transport, tourism, logistics and emergency response as possible future applications. Those uses remain dependent on regulatory approval and the aircraft’s operational readiness, according to the WAM report republished by Zawya. GCC Business News’ report adds that the test zone is intended to support a gradual move from validation to operational trials.

For now, the Ras Al Khaimah Aridge flying vehicle test zone is a regulatory and engineering step, not a flying-car taxi service. It gives the companies and aviation authorities somewhere to work through the less glamorous parts of flight — airspace, procedures and safety — before any wider rollout.

Ras Al Khaimah’s earlier flying-vehicle work also sits alongside the wider UAE push into future mobility, including XPeng AeroHT’s public manned flight in Dubai in 2025. The emirate’s approach follows other UAE flying-car activity, including a Dubai flying-car showcase.