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The futuristic city-state of Dubai announced a deal
on Tuesday with Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One to study the potential
for building a line linking it to the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi.
The announcement of the deal took place atop the Burj Khalifa, the
world's tallest building, with a panoramic view of the skyline of this
futuristic city-state serving as both a backdrop and a sign of Dubai's
desire to be the first to rush toward the future.
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However, no financial terms were immediately discussed and the
technology itself remains under testing, despite the Apple-like product
talk given by Hyperloop CEO Rob Lloyd.
"This has become a transportation hub and leader in the world," Lloyd
said, mentioning long-haul carrier Emirates and the city's driverless
metro, the longest in the world. "In the Emirates, we believe everything
is possible."
A hyperloop has levitating pods powered by electricity and magnetism
that hurtle through low-friction pipes at a top speed of 1,220 kph (760
mph). Tesla co-founder Elon Musk first proposed the idea in 2013.
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Organizers suggest the Dubai-Abu Dhabi travel time by hyperloop would be
only 12 minutes — significantly down from the hour-plus journey it now
takes by car between the two cities. Later asked about the cost,
Hyperloop co-founder Josh Giegel told The Associated Press the cost
would be "somewhere between the cost of putting a road in and a
high-speed rail." He did not elaborate.
In October, Dubai hosted a competition to design a hyperloop track. In
that 48-hour project, designers presented ideas for a possible track
between Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, Dubai
International Airport and Fujairah International Airport. Under their
plans, the hyperloop trip of some 145 kilometers (90 miles) over a
mountain range would be 10 minutes or less, compared to the current hour
and 20 minutes by road.
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The deal announced on Tuesday would be far simpler.
There would be several stations throughout Dubai connecting the
hyperloop system to Abu Dhabi. The pods would then be able to carry
passengers and cargo between the cities. At the event Tuesday, Hyperloop
officials showed several circular station models for Dubai, including
one at Emirates Towers on Dubai's main artery, Sheikh Zayed Road.
Already, government-backed port operator DP World has signed an
agreement with Hyperloop One to explore the feasibility of the using the
technology at Dubai's sprawling, man-made Jebel Ali Port. DP World CEO
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem attended Tuesday's event with Mattar al-Tayer,
the head of Dubai's Roads & Transportation Agency.
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"Dubai is a city that understands global change and seizes the
opportunity to pioneer," al-Tayer said.
For now though, Hyperloop One continues its tests in the Nevada desert.
"We do aspire to build the world's first hyperloop here in the United
Arab Emirates," Lloyd said. "That is our aspiration. We have a lot of
work to do."
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