Hold onto your seatbelts (or maybe don’t — you might not need them soon), because Ras Al Khaimah is officially entering the future. Joby Aviation, the pioneers of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (that’s fancy talk for flying taxis), just inked a major deal with the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) and Skyports Infrastructure to bring air taxis to the emirate by 2027. Yes, you read that right — you’ll be able to zip from Dubai to Al Marjan Island in under 15 minutes instead of watching podcasts in Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road traffic for an hour.
The Future Is (Almost) Here
This partnership is a power trio of innovation: Joby brings the sleek, zero-emission aircraft; Skyports sets up the high-tech vertiports (basically futuristic helipads for flying taxis); and RAKTA ensures everything fits perfectly into the emirate’s grand mobility plan. The signing ceremony even had the blessing of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, signaling that RAK is serious about becoming a leader in sustainable travel and urban innovation.
According to H.E. Esmaeel Hasan Alblooshi, director general at RAKTA, this move is part of Ras Al Khaimah’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2030, focused on smart, sustainable, and integrated transport. Translation: the emirate’s turning into a sci-fi city where getting from point A to B is cleaner, faster, and cooler.
From Dubai to Jebel Jais in Minutes
The plan includes an entire air taxi network within Ras Al Khaimah and a high-speed corridor connecting Dubai to key RAK destinations like Al Marjan Island and Jebel Jais — because why not make your mountain road trip take 12 minutes instead of 90? The first vertiport will rise on Al Marjan Island, home to the upcoming Wynn Al Marjan resort, with more stops to follow.
And let’s talk numbers: Joby’s all-electric aircraft hits a top speed of 321 km/h, carrying up to four passengers plus a pilot with zero emissions. It’s quiet, sleek, and it’s clocked over 40,000 miles of test flights, proving it’s more than just a sci-fi fantasy.
So What’s Next?
Joby plans to start carrying passengers in Dubai by 2026, before expanding the service to Ras Al Khaimah in 2027. As JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s founder, put it: this partnership is all about creating a clear runway (or should we say skyway?) for commercial air taxis. Meanwhile, Skyports’ CEO Duncan Walker confirmed they’re already moving fast on building the vertiport network — meaning your next RAK weekend could literally start mid-air.
The Bottom Line
Ras Al Khaimah isn’t just joining the flying taxi race — it’s fast-tracking to the front. Between desert drives, mountaintop views, and now sky-high commutes, the emirate is shaping up to be the UAE’s most adventurous playground yet.
So, next time someone says, “I’ll be there in 15 minutes,” they might actually mean it.
