Hyperloop: The Evolution of Transport in the Middle East

by Shapol Mohamed

 Not too long ago, the world imagined the Middle East as a desert where people got around on camels. Since then, a lot has changed. Oil-rich United Arab Emirates has evolved the most and its economy has expanded beyond belief.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the best-known places in the United Arab Emirates, are separated by 140 kilometres of sand and it currently takes commuters 1 hour 20 minutes to travel between the two cities. However, the journey is about to be cut to only 12 minutes - bringing the cities closer to each other. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and Virgin Hyperloop One are both competing to make the Hyperloop a dream - the competition is as exciting and as bitter as the Space Race. Backed by Richard Branson, Virgin Hyperloop One has raised $295 million and is eager to start building.

The Hyperloop is essentially, a vehicle that is levitating on electromagnets and operates in a vacuum, in the process, it eliminates friction and air resistance. This requires little energy to propel the vehicle and it is more economically viable than traditional transport methods used such as cars, trains, and aircrafts. The Hyperloop travels just below the speed of sound and makes transport less tedious and time-consuming.

This is beneficial for society as the project will employ a large number of low and high skilled workers for the construction and operation - injecting investment into the economy. Commuters could live further away from work where housing could be cheaper and save money. Furthermore, the Hyperloop will be a private business and that means they will pay taxes to the government. The extra tax revenue would help the Emirati Government greatly and would enable them to carry out other great projects. 

Dubai was a perfect Hyperloop petri dish for many reasons. The obvious being that the Government is willing to support the project. Also, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are both designed to be smart cities - aiming to reduce emissions by 75% before 2023. Furthermore, Dubai is home to the third busiest airport in the world and attracts endless commuters, increasing the chances of the project being successful. A busy airport also means that the city has a lot of tourists. These tourists would see this futuristic mode of transport as an attraction and Virgin Hyperloop One could receive plentiful capital for the continuous running of the project.

Other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have shown interest in the Hyperloop. However, the Emirates looks like it will be the first home of the Hyperloop.