Aridge is taking another step toward commercializing its flying cars, this time by tackling the regulatory and operational questions that follow a successful flight.
The Xpeng-backed company, formerly known as Xpeng AeroHT, has signed a cooperation agreement with the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to establish a regulatory sandbox for advanced air mobility, allowing controlled testing in the UAE. The program will be overseen by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, with Aridge and local authorities also planning a demonstration route between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah.
Led by the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority, the sandbox will enable Aridge to validate flight performance in desert conditions, evaluate aircraft performance across different operating scenarios, and refine procedures within controlled airspace.
The planned inter-emirate route broadens the scope beyond aircraft testing. Aridge said the program is expected to assess flight planning, airspace coordination, ground support, passenger handling, aircraft turnaround, and safety management, testing infrastructure and procedures needed for future commercial air mobility services.
The agreement builds on Aridge’s growing presence in the UAE. In October 2025, the company completed a public crewed flight of its modular “Land Aircraft Carrier” in Dubai, marking its entry into its first international market. It also reported the signing of purchase agreements for 600 units with Gulf partners, lifting its reported global backlog above 7,000 orders. At the time, regulatory approval in the UAE remained a key step in Aridge’s transition from demonstrations to commercial operations.
Since then, Aridge has been preparing for production. In March, it raised nearly USD 200 million in equity financing, bringing its cumulative equity funding to nearly USD 1 billion. Its manufacturing facility in Guangzhou has a reported annual capacity of up to 10,000 air modules for the Land Aircraft Carrier.
The UAE sandbox addresses another requirement for commercialization: establishing how the aircraft will operate.
That effort comes as the Middle East, and the UAE in particular, explores other forms of mobility. Autonomous driving companies have made inroads in the region over the past year, moving some projects beyond road testing and into public operations:
- Baidu’s Apollo Go and local partner AutoGo launched a fully driverless commercial ride-hailing service on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island in January after securing a commercial permit in November 2025. The partners plan to expand the service to other parts of the emirate.
- WeRide has similarly expanded its operations in the UAE. As of July, the Chinese autonomous driving company had more than 1,800 robotaxis in its global Level 4 fleet and said its fully driverless operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai each covered more than 70% of core local areas.
- CaoCao Mobility, another Chinese ride-hailing operator, signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi-based K2 in June to develop robotaxi deployment and operations in the UAE.
These projects are making the region a testing ground for transport services that require technology companies and regulators to establish new operating rules. While robotaxis can use existing road infrastructure, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft introduce a different set of requirements spanning airspace management, takeoff and landing facilities, ground operations, and aviation safety.
For Aridge, the UAE program is intended to work through some of those requirements under controlled conditions. Regulatory approval for commercial passenger eVTOL flights remains pending, and the connection between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah is a planned demonstration route rather than a commercial service.
Aridge is also continuing flight demonstrations in the country. It recently flew the air module of the Land Aircraft Carrier in formation at a Chinese Embassy reception held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The company is separately developing the A868, a six-seat, full tiltrotor hybrid aircraft designed for longer journeys.
