The US-based aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation significantly is fast-tracking its plans to deploy innovative electric air taxis across Saudi Arabia. This rapid deployment occurs as the Saudi aviation authority simultaneously aligns its regulatory framework with established US certification standards, ensuring a smooth path to commercial operations.
Consequently, the New York Stock Exchange-listed company formally signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which utilizes established Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification standards as the authoritative foundation for the kingdom’s entire local approval process.
Commitment to Standards
JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s Founder and CEO, affirmed the company has collaborated closely with the FAA since 2016 on both certification and commercial operations of its air taxi. He stated their deep commitment now successfully involves putting those precise standards to rigorous work on an expansive global scale.
Furthermore, Sulaiman bin Saleh Al-Muhaimedi, GACA’s executive vice president of aviation safety, declared this strategic partnership represents a critical step toward significantly advancing the kingdom’s ambitious goals in advanced air mobility. He emphasized the regulator focuses not merely on importing future technologies to Saudi Arabia but strategically builds the necessary local knowledge and expertise required to confidently sustain them long-term. Simultaneously, Joby is nearing the final phase of FAA type certification back in the US, which involves FAA test pilots directly assessing the aircraft’s crucial performance characteristics and comprehensive safety features.
Securing Local Investment and Deployment
In Saudi Arabia, Joby has secured key partnerships that solidify its regional presence. Most notably, a definitive agreement with Abdul Latif Jameel involves the confirmed delivery of up to 200 Joby aircraft, an agreement valued at nearly one billion dollars. Additionally, Joby partnered with Aloula Aviation (the former Mukamalah Aviation), which operates as the aviation subsidiary for state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco.
However, the Kingdom’s emerging mobility sector faces strong competition, particularly from the rival U.S.-listed Archer Aviation. Archer Aviation confirmed in July it actively hired a top executive in Saudi Arabia to prepare for its own commercial air taxi launch.
Furthermore, Volocopter secured selection in 2023 as the exclusive air taxi provider for the giga-project NEOM. Yet, this German startup, which received a substantial $175 million investment from NEOM in 2022, filed for insolvency late last year. This unfortunate development opened a clear potential market gap for competitors like Archer as they aggressively build out their Gulf presence.
Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at up to 322 kilometers per hour, with zero operating emissions. The company has also announced plans to begin operating its fully electric air taxis in Dubai next year after delivering the first aircraft to the UAE.
