Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Front End, a leading provider of smart solutions in Saudi Arabia, is set to launch electric passenger drones by the end of 2024, CEO and Chairman Majid Alghaslan announced.

The company will introduce the service in collaboration with EHang, the Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle developer, Alghaslan said in an interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum 2024 (FAF 2024).

He noted that EHang is responsible for facilitating the deployment of these electric flights in Saudi Arabia.

“We have electric buses and cars now; you’re going to have electric flights for passengers. And this is already running in many cities around the world. We want Riyadh and the major cities around the Kingdom to be the first as well,” Alghaslan added.

He clarified that these electric flights are capable of traveling up to 30 minutes with two passengers and can be used for logistics purposes as well.

The drones will be autonomous and will operate using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Moreover, the CEO showcased Front End’s plans to introduce a ride-hailing service in the Kingdom using a fleet of electric vehicles, in partnership with India’s Blue Smart.

The third edition of FAF 2024 takes place in Riyadh from 20 to 22 May, gathering over 5,000 industry experts and more than 70 presidents of civil aviation authorities and global aviation leaders from around the world.